Dr. Peter Ransford - Victoria

An innovator in the field of emergency health services, Dr. Peter Ransford is largely responsible for British Columbia having one of the world's most outstanding networks of emergency health services.

Dr. Ransford recommended, designed and implemented this system during the 1970s after becoming an expert in emergency health care by delivering it in England during the Second World War.

Having moved to British Columbia after the war to practice medicine, he was asked by the BC Government in 1973 to survey the status of ambulance and emergency services in the province. His report - which recommended dramatic changes - became the blueprint for BC's modern emergency health services.

Dr. Ransford was asked to direct the introduction of these dramatic service improvements and he did so over succeeding years. He went on to work as Senior Medical Advisor for the Ministry of Health until his retirement in 1983.

In 2007, there were more than half a million calls for emergency ambulance service and more than 8,000 calls for air ambulance service in BC - one of North America's busiest ambulance services.

Today, BC has a first class emergency health services system, largely due to Dr. Ransford's vision and persistence.