Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Canadian Red Cross was established by Surgeon-Major George Sterling Ryerson. He participated in the North-West Rebellion of 1885 and used a red cross to protect his horse-drawn ambulance. The Red Cross Society was founded by Henri Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland in an effort to gain neutral status for medical personnel during war time in order to help the wounded. The Society spread throughout the world and it was formally established in Canada by Major Ryerson in 1896. In 1909 the Canadian Red Cross was incorporated by the federal government. It has been active in setting up outpost hospitals in remote parts of the country. It offers a wide range of services in addition to the national blood transfusion service. (Taken from: "The Canadian Encyclopedia." Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1985.)