Dr. Gifford-Jones, MD
I am so grateful to be your friend!
I first met Dr. Giff over lunch, in the early 2000’s, shortly after he had written an article on cranberries for his weekly syndicated column which was carried in over 60 newspapers Nationally. The article had an immediate impact on the cranberry market as stores sold out and vendors added it to their brands. He has done this for many other products, as some of you know.
I wondered at the time. “how come I do not know this man?”, he may be the most influential Canadian advocate for the natural ‘traditional health store’ way of life in my time. Perhaps a tad cocky, I thought I knew all the industry experts.
Consider this:
In over 47 years he has not missed one weekly deadline! 2400 articles.
This must be a Canadian Medical Journalist Record!
His National Column reached 6M readers a week! That is OVER 14 BILLION Impressions coast to coast for natural health, since 1975.
I ran into Dr Giff some years later when we worked together developing the Medi-C brand.
I toured with Dr Giff across Canada where he filled the local halls for his talks on Heart Disease and Vitamin C. It was a lovefest!
Dr Giff would be at the door an hour before the lecture to meet the early comers and stay hours after the talk to ensure every question was answered, every book signed, picture taken and always a hug.
In the Sault 2 middle age women showed up. The one woman says to Giff, “do you remember me? You gave birth to my daughter”, who was the other woman, “50 years ago”. This was not unusual as nurses who worked with him, while he was a surgeon, came out & sung his praises as to what a fine caring doctor he was. [what is crazy he remembered the woman and the complication she had while giving birth]
In case public lectures become a thing of the past I would like to give an idea of how many people showed up, jammed in, sat on the floor around his feet, on the stage, down the lobby, and on a screen in the room next door. Every talk supported the local natural food stores, only!
Brantford – 450,
Windsor – 600 – 2 lectures one evening so everyone could attend,
Charlottetown – 450,
Prince Albert – 450,
Lethbridge – 450,
Medicine Hat – 500,
Saskatoon – 500,
Winnipeg – 500,
Red Deer – 250,
Victoria – 300,
St Catherine’s – 500,
Sarnia – 350,
The Sault – 500,
Thunder Bay – 400,
Kingston – 300,
Barrie – 400, and many others.
Gifford Jones MD, Medical Journalist, during his life has been one of the most influential Canadians in bringing the message of natural wellness to community’s coast to coast. If someone is worthy of the Order of Canada it is Dr Giff.
At 96, just before the pandemic, Dr Giff was preparing to drive from Toronto to Calgary on a natural health lecture tour with his daughter Diana. His plan is to retire 10 years after he dies.
I spoke to him recently and he still has the fire in his belly.
Dr Giff’s advice, to live a life worth living, is to wake up every day with a purpose!
Thanks, Dr Giff, for all you do, I am blessed to know you, especially sharing with you the best medicine of all, laughter!
