Christopher McCreery

pro utilitate hominum - for the service of humanity

"The Maple Leaf and the White Cross" is an official of the St. John's ambulance and the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem written by Priory Historian Christopher McCreery.

McCreery surveys the role of the Hospitaller in the major events of the 20th century both abroad and at home. Complete with over 20 pages of pictures and illustrations, the book serves as a fitting tribute to the men and women "who have sought to carry forth the motto pro fide, pro hominum" (xii).

Why exactly is this book important? If we think about the state of crisis the Canadian healthcare system faces today, the lack of funding, the lack of resources, the lack of facilities. We are doing a huge disservice to the honorable men and women of St. John's Ambulance when some of their services have been relegated to run out of the back of junkyards. To think that we can accept such conditions in an industrially advanced nation like ours is disgraceful. Where are our priorities?

To be clear, as an official history McCreery does not delve into the stories of individual members, or dwell on the politics of The Order. McCreery presents the facts as they are and the interpretations and judgments are left to the reader to make. Overall, anyone who wants to learn more about St. John's Ambulance or is planning on doing more researching into hospitallers and the history of Honours in Canada will definitely be well-served in reading this book.… (meer)