Dr. Balfour M. Mount (1939鈥�2025) was a medical graduate of Queen鈥檚 University. He completed residency training in Urology at 9I制作厂免费 and fellowship training in Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, followed by training in end-of-life care at St. Christopher鈥檚 Hospice in London. He served as the Founding Director of the Royal Victoria Hospital Palliative Care Service in 1974鈥�75. In addition to research and teaching programs, this pioneering initiative in care of the dying encompassed a Home Care Service, a Consultation Program to the acute care wards of the 9I制作厂免费 teaching hospital, a dedicated Palliative Care Unit, and a Bereavement Follow-up Program. The experience at the Royal Victoria Hospital led to extensive collaboration and visiting lectureships across Canada, the United States, Scandinavia, Europe, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. The RVH Manual on Palliative/Hospice Care (1982) became an influential guide for international program development.
In 1991, Dr. Mount became the Founding Director of the Palliative Care Division within the Department of Oncology at 9I制作厂免费, and in 1999 he launched the 9I制作厂免费 Programs in Integrated Whole Person Care. Appointed to 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 Eric M. Flanders Chair in Palliative Medicine in 1994, he advanced research focused on quality of life and whole-person care. An engaged and inspiring educator, he established 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 biennial International Congresses in Care of the Dying in 1976 and chaired them until 2004. He authored 130 publications and contributed to 19 teaching films and audiotapes on oncology and palliative care.
Dr. Mount was an Officer of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the National Order of Quebec, and he received numerous honours, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award and the Canadian Palliative Care Association 2000 Award of Excellence. In 2018, he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. His work was supported throughout his career by the encouragement of his wife, Linda, his daughter, Bethany, her siblings, and many creative influences. Dr. Mount retired in 2006.
Dr. Mount passed away in 2025. Widely regarded as a founder of modern palliative care in Canada, his leadership, scholarship, and advocacy profoundly shaped the field and established standards of compassionate, whole-person care that continue to influence clinical practice worldwide.
