As a foundation of the Order of St. John, St. John Ambulance has been providing first aid training programs in Canada for the past 125 years. From the sweatshops of the Victorian era and military hospitals of the First World War to a modern-day volunteer organization devoted to the service of humanity, this history recounts the remarkable story of the Order’s contribution to our country and those who made it possible.

With connections to the hospitaller work of the Order of St. John in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Order of St. John finds its modern roots in the English revival of this charitable work in 1831. The 1883 establishment of the Order of St. John in Canada signalled the beginning of a long and distinguished history of service to Canadians and people around the globe. As a nationwide volunteer organization involving more than 25,000 Canadians, St. John Ambulance continues to be the principal provider of first aid training in Canada.

Christopher McCreery holds a doctorate in Canadian political history from Queen_s University and is the author of more than ten books, including The Beginners Guide to Canadian Honours and Canadian Symbols of Authority. He is private secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He lives in Halifax.

Christopher McCreery's profile page

This well-referenced history does justice to an organization that has served Canada well.

Canadian Medical Association Journal