1. The Order of St. John maintains two foundations: the St. John Ophthalmic
Hospital in Jerusalem, and the St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade ("St. John
Ambulance"). The mission of St. John Ambulance in Canada is to enable Canadians to
improve their health, safety and quality of life by providing training and community
service. This is accomplished through the Association and the Brigade.
St. John Ambulance Association
2. The St. John Ambulance Association is the effector arm of development and
delivery of training. It is a network of health professionals and program development
specialists who develop first aid and health promotion courses, that are taught by trained
volunteer instructors to hundreds of thousands of Canadians each year.
3. The St. John Ambulance Association is responsible for setting the standards for all
first aid and health promotion courses, to ensure uniform levels of content, protocols and
instruction nationally (see StJCI Part 4). The Brigade Training System meets or exceeds
these standards.
St. John Ambulance Brigade
4. The St. John Ambulance Brigade is the effector arm of delivery of community
service. It is a group of trained uniformed volunteers recognizing and responding to
community based needs. They serve their community in a variety of ways, including
provision of patient care at public events, Therapy Dogs, support in times of emergency or
disaster, and youth programs that encourage community service and personal development.
5. The Brigade statement of purpose is:
Trained volunteers recognizing and responding to the community-based needs of all
people.
NATIONAL GOVERNANCE
6. Priory Chapter is the governing body of St. John Ambulance in Canada and
represents the membership across the country. Priory Chapter derives its authority from
the Prior of the Order and from the Royal Charters, Statutes and Regulations of the
Order - 1993 Edition and By-Law No 1 and Priory Rules (1994).
7. Priory Council is the executive arm of Priory Chapter and derives its authority from
the Prior in accordance with By-Law No. 1 and Priory Rules (1994). Priory Council,
comprised as a "board", is concerned with policy and governance issues, and is
invested with the power to authorize action in the name of Priory Chapter.
8. Priory Chapter and Priory Council depend on the work of several standing committees
to develop policy recommendations for approval and adoption by Priory Council. The
Volunteer Development Committee, chaired by the National Commissioner, is responsible for
all aspects of the organization specific to volunteers (see StJCI 2-1 for details on the
Volunteer Development Committee).
9. The National Brigade Committee, chaired by the National Commissioner and comprised
of all National Brigade Officers and Provincial/Territorial Commissioners, develops policy
recommendations specific to the Brigade, for approval and adoption by Priory Council,
through the Volunteer Development Committee
NATIONAL OFFICERS
10. The National Commissioner represents every Brigade member at the national level
of the organization. In this capacity, the National Commissioner is a member of Priory
Chapter and Priory Council, chairs the Volunteer Development Committee and the National
Brigade Committee, and is also a member of the national Executive Committee, Nominating
Committee and Order Committee
11. The National Brigade Officers are the National Commissioner, Deputy National
Commissioner, National Medical Officer, National Nursing Officer, National Cadet Officer,
National Training Officer, National Planning Officer and National Administrative Officer.
National Brigade Officers are members of Priory Chapter and of the National Brigade
Committee. Maintaining personnel in any of these positions is at the discretion of the
National Commissioner. (See StJCI 2-3-2 for details of the nomination process for National
Brigade Officers.)
12. The Deputy National Commissioner is responsible for assisting the National
Commissioner, and for taking the place of the National Commissioner if the incumbent is
absent or unable to carry out their duties for any reason.
13. National Brigade Officers represent each functional area of the Brigade. They are
responsible for advising the National Commissioner on matters within their functional
jurisdiction, for developing a network of similar functional positions within the Brigade,
and for communicating with their Provincial/Territorial counterparts.
14. National Staff Officer is an appointment by the National Commissioner to carry out
one or more specific tasks. The incumbent is not a member of Priory Chapter or the
National Brigade Committee, but is invited to attend Brigade meetings dependent on the
meeting agenda.
PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL OFFICERS
15. A similar structure based on function exists at the provincial/territorial
level. The Provincial/Territorial Commissioner is a member of the Provincial/Territorial
Council (most often represented as a Vice-President of the Board) and presides over the
other Provincial/Territorial Officers that comprise their Brigade Committee.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
16. The St. John Ambulance Association began giving first aid courses in Quebec
City in 1882. The St. John Ambulance Brigade grew alongside the developing Association,
and formed its first division for men in London, Ontario, in 1909. In 1912, a woman’s
nursing division was formed in Toronto. The first Cadet Division was established in
Montreal in 1926.
the brigade legacy
17. The Brigade has a proud history of service and involvement in local events as
well as those of national and international scope. In both World Wars, Brigade Members
served at home as well as overseas, often in situations of danger and considerable risk.
In Canada, the Brigade has responded to disasters and emergencies such as the Spanish
influenza epidemic of 1918; the mine disasters of 1956 and 1958 in Springhill, Nova
Scotia; the train derailment and subsequent evacuation of 250,000 people in Mississauga,
Ontario in 1979; and the Westray Mine disaster in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, in 1992.
18. In recent years, the Brigade has continued to exercise its national scope,
standardized training, and the willingness of its volunteer membership in the provision of
patient care and emergency services at major events, whether annual or occasional. The
Calgary Winter Olympics of 1988; the National Scout Jamboree in PEI in 1989; the
Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 1994 and many large annual events such as the Abbotsford
Air Show, Pacific National Exhibition, Canadian National Exhibition are examples of major
events where Brigade members from across the country have provided and continue to provide
service.
a vision for the future
19. Since the early 1990s, the Brigade has seen a gradual rise in membership,
correcting the decline experienced during the 1980s. The largest areas of growth are in
the Youth Programs and in the newly developed Therapy Dog Program. New ways of delivering
the traditional Brigade services, as well as a number of innovative forms of service are
being developed and tried in many communities.
