New family medicine chair in Indigenous health at U of T to be named for trailblazing alumnus John Big-Canoe

A new endowed chair in Indigenous health in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine will now have a name befitting its power and purpose.

The Big-Canoe Chair in Indigenous Health will honour the late John Big-Canoe (PGME ’94 Family Medicine), a trailblazing physician from the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation whose professional mission was deeply rooted in patient-centred care and service to Indigenous communities before his life was tragically cut short at age 33.

The chair, which was made possible thanks to a $5-million gift from anonymous donors, ensures that the department’s commitment to Reconciliation and advancing Indigenous health — as well as Big-Canoe’s legacy of dedication, leadership and service — will endure for generations.

The chair’s naming was celebrated at an intimate gathering in December 2025. Those present included department chair Danielle Martin, the department’s Indigenous health lead Suzanne Shoush and other members of its Indigenous Leadership Circle Janet Smylie and Sarah Park, along with the donors and Temerty Medicine community members who have a close connection to Indigenous health education and leadership at U of T.

Grandmother Alita Sauve, an Indigenous elder, welcomed guests with a ceremonial smudging and reflections on gratitude, with special thanks offered to the donors.

Martin and her fellow Indigenous Leadership Circle members spoke about the importance of bringing Indigenous issues to the fore and the impact the donation would have on their work. Martin noted how a unique team-based approach to decision-making was critical to their progress.

Honouring Alumnus John Big-Canoe

Martin also thanked Cindy Sinclair, currently an adjunct lecturer, EDI and advocacy research at the department, for bringing John Big-Canoe to her attention and advocating for his recognition. Sinclair was an administrative assistant when Big-Canoe was a resident, and remembers him as “gentle, kind and exceptionally intelligent.” She had kept Big-Canoe’s name top-of-mind at the department for years until the naming opportunity arose.

John’s son David Migizance Big-Canoe had provided a statement to share on his family’s behalf, recalling how his father had overcome many challenges to “build a life he was proud of and reconnect to that which he had lost.”

“My father was, simply put, a great man who put his community and culture above all else,” he said. “Through this chair, his story and values can continue to inspire future generations in choosing to embrace community, culture, and leading a good life.”

At the conclusion of the event, the donor was presented with a painting by Indigenous artist and assistant professor of occupational therapy Lisa Boivin (PhD ’23) titled Raven Medicine.

While everyone gathered to enjoy cedar tea and bannock, Shoush reiterated to the group what the chair will mean to the ILC and the populations it serves.

“It’s very difficult to access health care, there are so many barriers and ways people are excluded,” she says.

“We all have a role to play, we all have a responsibility, and now it will be a permanent privilege of the department to do this work under the protection of the chair.”

Dr. John R. Big-Canoe (1961–1994)

Dr. John R. Big-Canoe, a proud member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and a trailblazing physician who trained at the University of Toronto’s Department of Family & Community Medicine, was a health care leader whose life and career embodied resilience, commitment and compassion.

Born near Toronto and raised in Toronto’s Regent Park and the Niagara Region, Big-Canoe overcame a challenging childhood that included time spent in foster care. After high school, he decided to attend military school — a choice that shaped his future direction.

Big-Canoe became interested in medicine and trained as a respiratory technician. Through this work he became acutely aware of the inequitable treatment of Indigenous and equity-deserving patients and the undervaluing of non-physician care team members, and he realized his calling. He enrolled at the Université de Montréal’s medical school despite not speaking French at the time. By his second year, he was fluent in the language and thriving academically.

After graduating with his MD, he completed his residency in family medicine at U of T through Unity Health Toronto St. Michael’s Hospital, where he earned the Hollister King Teaching Practices Resident Award for exemplifying the values of family medicine.

Big-Canoe’s professional mission was deeply rooted in patient-centred care and service to First Nations communities. He relocated from Montreal to Georgina Island in Lake Simcoe, with his wife Claire and their (then) five children, to raise their growing family and provide care to his community. Operating a family practice at the Georgina Medical Clinic in Sutton, he became a trusted physician and role model. He also traveled extensively to Northern Ontario and Quebec, working in diabetes education and prevention, and encouraging Indigenous youth to pursue education and professional careers.

Tragically, Big-Canoe’s life was cut short at age 33 in a boating accident on Lake Simcoe while commuting to his clinic — a journey he made daily by canoe to stay grounded and maintain traditional ways of travel.

Big-Canoe’s legacy now continues through the Big-Canoe Chair in Indigenous Health, which honours his extraordinary contributions and enduring vision: to advance Indigenous health and inspire future generations of physicians.