She's best known for helping guide Toronto through the
SARS crisis of 2003, but Dr. Sheela Basrur's own struggle with a life-threatening illness is arguably even more inspirational.
Ontario's former Chief Medical Officer of Health has been battling a rare form of cancer for the past 15 months, but made her first public appearance since February on Friday in Markham, a day after she was awarded the Order of Ontario in Kitchener.
"To receive this wonderful honour has just been a gift come true," Dr. Basrur proclaimed.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was also on hand for the event, joining countless others in expressing support and admiration for the woman of the hour.
"She has shown us how to stand firm with grace," McGuinty said. "How to make tough calls with calm."
Doris Grinspun nominated Basrur for the honour, saying the selection was as much of a no-brainer as one gets.
"My board and my president discovered many new facets of Sheela, each one more illuminating and inspiring than the previous," the Executive Director of the
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario explained.
Although Dr. Basrur's cancer originated in her uterus and has since spread to her liver and bones, she insists she's got plenty of fight left. Starting next week, she'll undergo a month of intensive radiation treatment.
"You have to fight every minute, every second, to have another second and another minute and then another day on which to go on," Dr. Basrur insisted.
More on Dr. Sheela Basrur (
courtesy Order of Ontario
)
Dr. Basrur served as Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health from 2004 to 2006. She developed and implemented Operation Health Protection, a three-year action plan to protect and promote the health of Ontarians after SARS. She helped create the province's new Ministry of Health Promotion and spearheaded its key initiatives, including the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy and the provincial Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living to address rising obesity among Ontarians.
In six years as Medical Officer of Health for the newly amalgamated City of Toronto, Dr. Basrur oversaw the merging of six public health units into one with 1,800 staff and an annual operating budget of $160 million - the largest in Canada.
Among her innovations is the DineSafe program to inform Torontonians of the food safety rating of restaurants and other eating establishments. She also paved the way for a ban on non-essential use of pesticides and for measuring the impact of air pollution on the health of Torontonians. Dr. Basrur holds honorary doctorates from Ryerson Polytechnic University (2004) and York University (2007), and is an honorary member of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario.
What is the Order of Ontario?
Dr. Basrur is in good company. About 25 people are given the Order of Ontario every year. Among the big names who've received it:
- Thomas Bitove Jr., the man who brought the Toronto Raptors to town.
- David Lepofsky, a blind lawyer-activist who forced the TTC to announce all its stops and stations verbally on buses, streetcars and the subway.
- Dr. Tak Mak, a world renowned biomedical specialist and an expert in genetic advancements.
- Roy McMurtry, the former Chief Justice of Ontario and ex-Attorney General of Ontario.
- Boris Brott, world famous Canadian symphony conductor.
- Dr. Ronald Taylor, sports medicine specialist and former major league baseball player.
- Walter Gretzky, ambassador for the Cdn. Heart and Stroke Foundation and Wayne's father.
- Mike Weir, golfer and first Canadian to win the Masters.
- Moses Znamier, founder of
Citytv.