Our History
In the footsteps of Dr. Frank William Green
In the footsteps of Dr. Frank William Green
Frank William Green (March 15, 1876 – December 24, 1953) was a Canadian physician and politician.
Dr. Green was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1876 to Alexander Alfred Green and Theophila Turner Raines. He attended Corrig College in Victoria, BC. After the death of his father in 1891, Dr. Green relocated to Montreal to attend McGill University where he would obtain his medical degree. Upon his graduation from McGill in 1898, Dr. Green worked as a physician on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway Crows nest Pass line, in the Kootenay Valley, working on horseback. During this time, he operated a hospital and treated many during an epidemic of typhoid.
He settled in Cranbrook in 1899 to establish a medical practice. He was one of the first and only physicians in Cranbrook, a medical pioneer. A partnership with Dr. James Horace King of Cranbrook which started in 1903 was described as a "cornerstone in local medicine". They used modern innovations, two examples being the purchase of the first x-ray machine in the city and the use of automobiles within the practice.
He married Lillian Barbara Staples of Stillwater, Minnesota in June 1905. One of his sons, William Otis Green also became a doctor in the Cranbrook area, with whom he later shared a practice.
In the British Columbia general election, 1941, Dr. Green was elected as a Conservative to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the district of Cranbrook. He was elected again in 1945 as a coalition member, serving until his retirement in 1949.
Dr. Frank W. Green died in 1953 of heart problems at St. Eugene Hospital in Cranbrook, which he had established.
The F. W. Green Clinic and F. W. Green Memorial Home Continuing Care Centre in Cranbrook are both named after him.
At the F.W. Green Clinic, we continue to uphold his vision of an innovative and vibrant medical service that employs modern technology and innovation in the care of our patients. We continue to strive to care for our community by supporting wellness at every step of the journey.