Brief History

Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation (SFBLF) was preceded by the Sir Frederick Banting Educational Committee (1995-2005); a standing committee of the Town of New Tecumseth that included volunteers and a Council representative.

SFBLF was created in 2005  by 8 Founding Directors at the request of the Town.

Following resolution of the ownership of the Banting Homestead Heritage Park (BHHP), birthplace of Sir Frederick Banting, in Alliston, Ontario, Canada, SFBLF was given the mandate in 2010 to rescue, restore and enhance the historic buildings. That task was completed in mid-2013.

In parallel, SFBLF began the development and delivery of Programs to Fight Diabetes and that process continues. Completion of the building restorations resulted in a unique, inspirational Canadian venue including the creation of the SFBLF Diabetes Management and Education Centre (DMEC).

SFBLF has raised and invested over $2 million CAD to restore and enhance the historic buildings and site infrastructure at the BHHP, create and deliver programs and design informative exhibits in support of our Mission. The Town of New Tecumseth, owner of the BHHP, has invested at least another $1 million CAD on the property infrastructure including the purchase of the property.

The result is a unique Canadian venue for the enjoyment of our communities, all Canadians and visitors worldwide. The collective capability honours and preserves the legacy of Sir Frederick Banting.

SFBLF – Strategic Evolution

Guided by our long-range Strategic Plan, SFBLF has provided the leadership and project management to achieve the established goals.

SFBLF has steadily advanced through 3 overlapping phases with a gradual shift in resource allocations and priorities in response to work completed and new opportunities identified:

  1. ‘Bricks and mortar’ 2010 – 2013. The essential restoration and enhancement of the BHHP buildings and infrastructure to create a welcoming public access venue was completed in late 2013. Minor enhancements continue on an opportunistic basis as does routine maintenance.
  2. Program Development 2012 – present. A very few programs, not dependent on direct use of the BHHP site, were begun in 2012 in collaboration with university medical partners. The majority of the now over 20 programs were developed in the period 2013 – 2017. New programs were implemented in early 2019 and in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Included in this phase was the design and installation of educational exhibits, both indoor and outdoor. That process continues, amplified by initiatives implemented in 2002-21 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Insulin.
  3. Program Delivery 2014 – present. Initial instructor-led program delivery and self-guided tours continue on-site but are now augmented by online eLearning courses and Webinars, downloadable tutorials, risk assessment tools, self-scoring quizzes and a 3D online Virtual Tour of the property, buildings and exhibits.

The Banting Legacy walking Trail now includes a youth exercise equipment area,  percussion musical instruments and is enhanced with new gardens, engraved paver patio and monuments.

Impact

The BHHP site was opened to the public on a scheduled and continuing basis in mid-2014. Since then, despite the disruptions of COVID (2020-2022), over 14,500 visitors from 10 provinces/ territories, 26 US states and over 40 countries have visited the site and participated in SFBLF programs. The total Program Participation Hours at the end of 2021 exceeded 44,000.