Heritage

Archival photograph of Belleville General Hospital

Pandemic: Unmasking the Spanish Flu By Melissa Wakeling

Anew travelling exhibition on the world’s deadliest influenza pandemic is coming to Belleville. Pandemic: Unmasking Influenza will make one of its first tour stops at Glanmore National Historic Site. The exhibit is produced by Ingenium in partnership with Canadian Geographic and the Museum of Health Care at Kingston.

The Spanish Flu swept across Canada between 1918 and 1919. With no effective vaccine or treatment, the virus infected Canadians at an alarming rate, resulting in at least 55,000 deaths; most were young adults. By the fall of 1918, the pandemic had gathered an intensity the world had never experienced before. During its peak, some reports stated that approximately 1,000 Canadians were dying each day. In extreme cases victims died within hours.

The exhibition looks at a wide range of themes: the First World War and the spread of the virus; the heavy toll the Spanish Flu took on Canada’s indigenous communities; measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease; and the Spanish Flu as a transformative event in public health and Canadian society. Glanmore National Historic Site will be adding local artifacts, newspaper reports and photographs to show how Belleville and the Quinte Region were impacted by this global pandemic. Historic photographs courtesy of the Community

Archives of Belleville and Hastings County.

Pandemic: Unmasking Influenza will be on display from August 9 to September 29, 2019. A special opening reception will be held at the museum on Thursday, August 8, 2019 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. All are welcome. glanmore.ca