Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada fonds [textual record] Archives / Collections and Fonds
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Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada fonds [textual record]
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Record information Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada fonds [textual record]
Date:1993-1997.Reference:R12476-0-9-E, RG33Type of material:Multiple mediaFound in:Archives / Collections and FondsItem ID number:3809012Date(s):1993-1997.Bilingual equivalent:Place of creation:CanadaExtent:84.9 m of textual and audio-visual recordsLanguage of material:EnglishAdded language of material:English, FrenchScope and content:Fonds consists of research files, submissions to the Commission, correspondence, transcripts, legal documents, and exhibits (including video cassettes) from the proceedings. File blocks maintained by the Commission are Safety, Research-International, Research-USA, Research-General, Public Hearings, Judicial Proceedings, and Final Report.Biography/Administrative history:Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada : The Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (commonly known as the Krever Commission) was established in 1993. According to Order-in-Council 1993-1879, which created the commission, its official mandate was "to review and report on the mandate, organization, management, operations, financing and regulation of all activities of the blood system in Canada, including the events surrounding the contamination of the blood system in Canada in the early 1980s." The Commissioner of this Inquiry was Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Horace Krever. The final report was issued in 1997.
This Commission was set up in response to the tainted blood scandal of the 1980s. Tens of thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV or hepatitis C due to improper testing of the blood supply, with thousands dying as a result. The Commission spent four years investigating this tragedy. Its principal final recommendations were the creation of a new national blood system, and the no-fault compensation of all past, present and future victims of tainted blood. While many victims did receive monetary compensation, the recommendation of universal compensation was rejected by the government, and the struggle for compensation, especially by those who contracted hepatitis C, continued after the release of the final report. A new settlement was reached in 2006.
The Canadian Red Cross, which had run the country's blood services for more than half a century, was named publicly by the Commission as having failed in its duty. Following a 5-year investigation by the RCMP, charges were laid against the Canadian Red Cross Society, Armour Pharmaceutical Co. (a U.S.-based company) and senior scientists at Health Canada. The Red Cross was left near bankruptcy, and its role in the country's blood system was reduced to recruiting blood donors. Canadian Blood Services, an independent agency operating at arm's length from the government, now directs the Canadian blood system, as per the recommendation of the Report. The Report influenced the health care system beyond the blood system, and resulted in the institution of precautionary measures and the creation of a governance system that prioritizes safety.Additional information:Custodial history:Upon the issue of the final report, the records were transferred to the Privy Council Office. They were transferred to Library and Archives Canada in 2008.Source:GovernmentFormer archival reference no.:RG33 -
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