05/25/2026
This week’s artifact spotlight is on our wheelchair from 1862. On April 12, 1955, the Salk poliomyelitis vaccine was deemed safe, effective, and potent. Despite the vaccine’s 90% efficacy rate, there were still many cases of Polio, and subsequent deaths. This was due to a lack of vaccine uptake. While the vaccine was very accessible, with most provinces and states offering it for free, there were many people who refused to be vaccinated or have their children vaccinated. In 1959, national statistics showed that 4 out of 5 Canadians aged 20-40 hadn’t been vaccinated. Individuals in this age group accounted for nearly 1/3 of paralytic polio cases, and about half of the deaths from the disease. These statistics showed that polio tended to affect young adults more strongly than any other age group, including schoolchildren. The patients who suffered from paralysis would commonly end up in wheelchairs such as this one. Today, a basic wheelchair can cost anywhere from $300-2000, which was about $20-150 in 1962. This wheelchair was originally purchased from the Salvation Army and was acquired by the museum in 1974.
