Dr. D. Sanger McEwen
1904-1990
Dr. D. Sanger McEwen was born in Arcola, Sask., on January 5, 1904. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a BA (cum laude) in 1924, an M.Sc. (magna cum laude) in 1926, and an MD (magna cum laude) in 1930.
One of the medical skills Dr. McEwen excelled in was bronchoscopy, or the removal of foreign objects from the windpipe. After completing his medical training, he furthered his knowledge and understanding in a specialized bronchoscopy course at the Chevalier Jackson Institute in Philadelphia, which, at the time, was the leading thoracic medical centre in the U.S. Following the completion of the course, he agreed to stay on as a lecturer for three months before returning home to Winnipeg.
Dr. McEwen began his long association with St. Boniface Hospital, then run by the Grey Nuns Order, as an intern in 1928. He began working at the St. Vital Tuberculosis Sanatorium, which was affiliated with the Hospital, around that same time. At the Sanatorium, he was appointed Resident Physician in 1931, and Medical Director in 1932. While at the Sanatorium, he continued to serve St. Boniface Hospital as a consultant in diseases of the chest, respiratory diseases, and respiratory allergies, from 1932 until his retirement in 1968.
At St. Boniface Hospital, Dr. McEwen was appointed to and held a number of leadership positions, including:
Medical Director 1939-1951;
Head of the Department of Medicine 1939-1959;
Chief of Staff and Director of Teaching and Education 1939-1959; and
Lay Administrator 1951-1959.
The position of Lay Administrator was created to facilitate the adjustments the Hospital and the Grey Nuns would have to make surrounding the incorporation of the universal Medicare system in Manitoba.
In September 1938, Dr. McEwen married Peggy Macdonald. They had three sons; Jamie, Tam, and Rob. The family owned the only two islands in “Devil’s Gap”, just south of Kenora, Ont., on the Lake of the Woods, for four decades and spent many summers there. Even on vacation at Lake of the Woods, Dr. McEwen shared his medical knowledge and skills, often giving consult to the Kenora General Hospital, and caring for local and summer residents as needs arose and without a fee.
Dr. McEwen opened his own busy private practice in Winnipeg in 1939. He continued to see patients there until 1968.
From 1940 to 1946, Dr. McEwen was the Medical Examiner for the Canadian Armed Forces, and a consultant to the Armed Forces, the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg, and Deer Lodge Military Hospital, all while also being on call to consult at other municipal hospitals.
In recognition of his contributions to St. Boniface hospital, in 1972 the newly built married interns’ residence was named “The McEwen Building”. St. Boniface staff, as well as volunteer organizations collaborated in planning a tribute dinner for the occasion. That dinner was so well received that it spawned annual International Awards Dinners, starting in 1976. Then in 1979, coinciding with the fourth International Awards dinner, the McEwen building was re-purposed as the Psychiatric Institute.
Dr. McEwen also contributed to the education of new physicians in Manitoba. He taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Manitoba Medical College, where he was appointed Chair of the Committee of Post Graduate Medical Studies from 1939 to 1959. During that time, Dr. McEwen was in demand to author articles and professional papers for leading medical journals in Canada and the U.S. He was also invited to present his findings internationally.
He was recognized as a leading authority in diseases of the chest, respiratory allergies, and in bronchoscopy procedures. His expertise was widely recognized, and he was asked to present lectures, seminars, and clinics across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Although he received many offers of positions abroad from his presentations, he maintained his loyalty to St. Boniface Hospital, the University of Manitoba, and Winnipeg. He always returned to continue his work in the Prairie city.
Outside of his work, Dr. McEwen was an avid sportsman. A skilled tennis player, as a younger man he won both singles and doubles championships for the Province of Saskatchewan. He was also a skilled musician and could pick up and play almost any musical instrument. In fact, he financed his university education by playing trumpet in local jazz bands; notably at the Venetian Gardens Dance Emporium in downtown Winnipeg.
Community-minded Dr. McEwen was an active member of the Freemasons, the Kinsmen Club, the Khartum Shriners, the Winnipeg Winter Club, the Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club, and the Manitoba Club, where he was a champion billiards player. He was also an accomplished photographer and had a long association with the Winnipeg Photo.
In his later years, Dr. McEwen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and spent his final years as a resident of Tuxedo Villa personal-care home. He passed away May 24, 1990.