Arts & Culture
Frederick Banting’s new practice as an orthopedic surgeon did so poorly he had to take in tenants to make ends meet.
He kept three rooms for himself. It was in one, a tiny bedroom, that something momentous happened.
At 2 a.m. on Oct. 31, 1920, Banting was in bed reading a medical journal when the idea came that led to the development of insulin, the life-saver for diabetics.
That bedroom is Banting House curator Grant Maltman’s favorite. It’s where, as he says, “a chain of events was set in motion that changed the world.’’
It’s a room that provokes a powerful emotional response. When comment cards were placed there to provide feedback on tours of the historic site, many visitors used them for an unexpected purpose —as thank-you notes to Banting.
“Dear Mr. Banting,’’ a recent one reads. “Thank you for giving people like my mother a chance to live.’’
One note is in Japanese, another in Spanish.
Banting House is full of wonderful stories, whether about Banting the war hero (he won the Military Medal), Banting the amateur artist (he painted alongside Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson), or Banting the Nobel Prize winner.
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