Dr. Thomas Charles Spence

The first "medical man" in the Stoney Creek area was Doctor Thomas Charles Spence. He was born in the township of Culross, Bruce County, Ontario, March 21, 1854. After teaching school for several years he entered the study of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Toronto, began practising medicine, and then married Miss Georgina Rothwell in 1882. He moved from Ontario to this area ten years later.

Dr. Spence and his wife, Georgina, first came to the Stoney Creek Settlement in early May of 1892. Unfortunately, there were no available accommodations in the area, so they were forced to continue their trip to Prince Albert. They returned in twelve days to a hastily built shack. Here, he began his homesteading duties on what is now known as the Canada Research Station. At the same time, he practised medicine and was the first medical doctor in the area.

After completing his homesteading duties, he moved to Prince Albert and continued to practise medicine. He provided medical attention to the very large but sparsely populated area, which, at times, even took him as far away as Melfort.

In 1906, the lure of the Carrot River Valley grew too strong to resist, and he decided to move there permanently. That same year he joined partnership with Doctor Shadd. They worked together for eight years until Dr. Spence retired in 1914.

Aside from practising medicine, Spence had become active in politics. During his career, he was the mayor of Melfort from 1912 to 1913. He also waged an unsuccessful campaign as a Conservative candidate in a Federal election against Senator Davis.

After retiring, Spence freely gave his medical service to the community in times of need, such as the flu epidemic in 1918. On Christmas day, 1920, he suffered a paralytic stroke and never fully recovered. Doctor Thomas Charles Spence passed away in Vancouver on July 26, 1923, at the age of 69.

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