Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site of Canada
What's New
New Look for Visitor Centre
On October 15, 2009, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry and Member of Parliament for Parry Sound – Muskoka, announced major improvements to visitor infrastructure at Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site of Canada. This project is partially funded by Canada's Economic Action Plan. The Government of Canada will invest over $2.5 million in this national historic site.
Over the past year architects and engineers have been working hard to design a new visitor's centre to meet the needs of our guests. Construction of a brand new 325 square meter (3,500 square foot) one storey facility with beautiful balance of stone and wood work will replace the existing 76 square meter (820 square foot) visitor's centre on John Street in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The construction period is scheduled to finish by February of 2012 and the new visitor's centre will be the new home of inspiring exhibits with a grand opening to the public in the summer of 2012.
New Books
Promotional Flyer for Phoenix by Rod Stewart and Sharon Stewart
Phoenix: The Life of Norman Bethune by Roderick Stewart and Sharon Stewart was recently finished after ten years of extensive research. In this book, the authors provided the intriguing details of Bethune’s controversial career as a surgeon, his turbulent personal life, his passion and pioneering commitment to the improvement of medical care in Canada and around the world.
Norman Bethune by Adrienne Clarkson © Parks Canada
A series of Extraordinary Canadians: Norman Bethune by Adrienne Clarkson
Canadian former governor general Adrienne Clarkson’s new book on Norman Bethune was recently published in spring 2009. She described this complicated man by showing how every stage of Bethune’s life prepared him for what followed.
"The Politics of Passion: Norman Bethune's Writing and Art" by Larry Hannant was published in 1998 and has just been published in French.
Please contact us regarding the purchase of these books directly from the site.