Sixty years prior to Terry Fox embarking on his Marathon of Hope to raise funds for cancer research, two First World War veterans, each having lost a leg during their service, undertook a 3,000-kilometre journey across a vast expanse of Canada. In May 1923, George Hincks and Marshall McDougall departed from Calgary with crutches in hand, aiming to reach Ottawa. They covered approximately 30 kilometres daily, addressing audiences in town halls about the challenges amputees encountered post the Great War.
As they approached Ontario’s western border, both men were fatigued. Hincks fell ill in Kenora, while McDougall turned back to Winnipeg. Hincks managed to reach Fort William, now Thunder Bay, before concluding the expedition. Despite not reaching Ottawa, their trek served as an early public display of disability rights in Canada, as noted by historian Eric Story from Western University and Wilfrid Laurier University.
The duo’s objective was to shift perceptions of disabled veterans among Canadians. They sought to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by amputees in post-war Canada. At that time, the nation was grappling with a severe recession, causing a spike in unemployment rates to 12%, particularly impacting individuals with disabilities.
The prevailing societal attitudes towards war amputees and disabled individuals were unfavorable during that era. The onset of urban industrial capitalism in the late 19th century marginalized people with disabilities, viewing them as unproductive and economically weak compared to able-bodied citizens.
The journey undertaken by Hincks and McDougall was physically demanding, navigating 30 kilometres daily with one leg each, relying on crutches and outdated prosthetics. Despite favorable weather conditions, the over 2,000-kilometre expedition was arduous for the duo.
This early trek by McDougall and Hincks holds significance as an early instance of disability rights activism. While the 1970s marked the rise of disability rights advocacy post-Second World War, the story of these two veterans, connected to the Amputations Association of the Great War (now known as the War Amps), represents an early generation of disability rights champions in Canada.
Their focus on the post-war struggles of people with disabilities in seeking employment underscores the importance of their narrative in the broader context of disability rights in Canada. The personal quest of George Hincks, who had faced unemployment for three years prior to the trek, emphasized the need to demonstrate his productivity and contribution to society.
Hincks and McDougall were among the 4,000 Canadian troops who suffered limb loss during the First World War, as highlighted by Story. Their journey remains a poignant reminder of the early endeavors in disability rights activism in Canada.