Northern Mission: Sir Wilfred Grenfell in Labrador

Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center

Exhibition: Northern Mission: Sir Wilfred Grenfell in Labrador

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Arctic Museum main galleries

Wilfred Grenfell went to work in northern Newfoundland and Labrador as a medical doctor, but he envisioned his mission much more broadly. He knew that to help people in the remote communities he served he had to address not only their physical health, but also their spiritual, social, and economic circumstances. Undaunted by the task he had set for himself, he created a network of medical stations, schools, and a craft organization. He received many honors for this work, including a knighthood in 1927. The Canadian government now provides medical care and education in the communities Grenfell served, but his legacy lives on in the International Grenfell Association, which provides grants to local community organizations and scholarships to students from the region. Grenfell’s house at St. Anthony, Newfoundland is now a historic site, and the Grenfell Historical Society continues to oversee a cottage industry producing hooked rugs and clothing.

This exhibit is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of Bowdoin College.


Pictured above: The Grenfell Association, London, ca. 1930. The Hospital Steamer Strathcona. Postcard. Museum purchase.

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