durhamregion.com 2 The Citizen June 16, 2016 In April, I mentioned how the Whitby Archives received a large transfer of records from the Archives of Ontario. I have been slowly going through the collection, adding each and every item to our database, and finding homes for all the boxes. In order to get to know the collection, I thought I'd write about the Whitby Township and Brooklin material I've found. Up first is the Whitby Township Board of Health. The Archives is now in possession of the board's minutes from 1884-1966 and the register of communicable diseases. The Board of Health was established by bylaw at the June 2, 1884 council meeting for Whitby Township. The bylaw also appointed John L. Smith, D. Holliday, James Matthewson, Dr. M. Starr, and Dr. Frank Warren as members. This bylaw followed the updated 1884 Public Health Act of Ontario which mandated that each city, town, and township establish a board of health and a medical officer of health. This new Public Health Act better reflected the knowledge of how infectious diseases were spread, thanks to advances in science and technology. With that knowledge came the realization that communities and individuals could work together to prevent diseases in a variety of ways. Local boards of health were often tasked with building clean and efficient water and sewage systems and creating educational campaigns that explained the value of public health. In this educational vein, the Whitby Township Board of Health's first undertaking was the creation of a document for public consumption containing "selections from the act in reference to sanitary measures and public health". Until the founding of the Brooklin Women's Institute in 1910, the Board of Health was the only organization responsible for educating the public on matters of sanitation and cleanliness. Their communications, included in annual tax assessments, reached the entire Township and included everything from tips on keeping a clean home to "calling attention to the compulsory vaccine law and recommending prompt compliance with the same" in 1885. In addition to keeping the community informed on matters of public health, the Board of Health was also responsible for providing instruction through inspecting drains and wells on public and private property, ensuring local businesses complied with sanitary measures, and advising the council on the sanitary conditions of the Township. Next month, we'll examine how the role of the Board of Health changed from the 19th century to the mid-twentieth century. As the community became more knowledgeable about the importance of public health, the Board of Health's responsibilities gradually moved from education towards establishing sanitary services and working with Township staff and the community to develop and implement preventative health measures. Sarah Ferencz is the archivist at the Whitby Public Library. Contact her at archives@whitbylibrary.on.ca Whitby Township Board of Health educated local residents on matters of sanitation and cleanliness from 1884 to 1966 Sarah Ferencz Whitby Public Library archivist Photo by Sarah Ferencz WHITBY-- These are just some of the boxes of archives material transferred from the Archives of Ontario to Whitby Archives. Included in the material are the Whitby Township Board of Health minutes from 1884 to 1966.