The Honourable Herbert Alexander Bruce, M.D. 1868-1963
A distinguished surgeon and able public servant, Bruce was born in Blackstock and educated at the Toronto School of Medicine. In 1897, after obtaining a fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he established a surgical practice in Toronto. Unable to secure adequate facilities for his patients, he founded The Wellesley Hospital, presiding over its official opening in 1912. Except for a period during World War I when he was active overseas, Bruce devoted the next two decades to the development of this institution. From 1932-37, he served as Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, becoming, during his term, an advocate for slum clearance and redevelopment. Subsequently elected to the House of Commons, Bruce represented the riding of Parkdale from 1940 until his retirement six years later.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.