The following is an oral history conducted by Mary Tremblay with James Burke on December 20, 1991.
James Burke’s oral history offers a rare civilian perspective on life with a spinal cord injury in mid-century Canada. Paralyzed in a 1940 car crash and confined to hospitals for more than seven years, Burke rejected the “pray and die” fatalism of the era, taught himself to write professionally, and lobbied for the humane treatment of fellow patients. After meeting Dr. Albin T. Jousse (medical director at Lyndhurst Lodge) and joining the Canadian Paraplegic Association in 1946, Burke secured his first wheelchair and commuted to Lyndhurst Lodge for gait-training. In 1948, he left institutional care to live independently at Toronto’s YMCA. The same year, Burke would meet Adelaide “Laddie” Dennis, a Toronto actress who later became a well-known radio and television personality. They would be married in 1951. Supporting himself as a freelance writer, author, and later as editor of Caliper, Burke promoted positive images of disabled Canadians, championed community integration over custodial care, and became a role model for post-war rehabilitation policy. Burkes oral history illustrates resilience, creativity, and the power of self-advocacy in shaping modern disability rights.
Read a transcript created by Mary Tremblay using this link.
Generated image (DALL-E) of James Burke, Toronto YMCA
room, 1948
Freelance journalist and editor of Caliper drafts articles from his
wheelchair.