News Archive > September 23rd, 2004: North Grenville Community welcomes Dr. Gordon Burton
Kemptville District Hospital
2675 Concession Road, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
Tel: (613) 258-6133; Fax: (613) 258-7853
September 23, 2004
North Grenville Community welcomes Dr. Gordon Burton
"Community is what a family physician is all about," says Dr. Gordon Burton.
A resident of Kemptville for two years, Dr. Burton very recently established a practice in family medicine in the community. Dr. Burton has joined the Family Medicine clinic at 215 Van Buren Street to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Dr. D.H. Jones.
"The beauty of the Kemptville area is its location; half way between the St. Lawrence and Ottawa," Dr. Burton stated. Recreational opportunities and reasonable real estate prices also helped attract him and his family to the area, along with a fondness for smaller communities. He credits colleague Dr. David Blaine with being "very helpful in bringing me here."
Dr. Burton came to Kemptville in 2002 as part of a career that has taken him from his native Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to England and then Alberta. He originally moved to the area after taking a job with the Department of National Defence as Deputy Chief of Staff, Medical Operations (Countermeasures).
The turbulent history of Rhodesia played a large role in shaping the forces that brought Dr. Burton, his wife Trish and their two sons to Canada. A fourth generation Rhodesian whose forebears originally came from Britain, he trained as a geologist in the early 1970s, prior to undertaking national service with the Rhodesian Army Intelligence Corps while the country battled communist-trained terrorist infiltrators. When work as a geologist became too dangerous, Dr. Burton chose medical school and completed the first three years of training at the University of Rhodesia, which is affiliated with Britain's University of Birmingham.
Rhodesia's declaration of independence from Britain and the subsequent struggles that led to its transformation into Zimbabwe led Dr. Burton to leave the country in an effort to finish his qualifications as a physician elsewhere. Political fallout from Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence from Britain made it difficult for Dr. Burton to gain acceptance to a British university, although his wife, whom he married shortly prior to leaving his native country, was born in Britain. "I'd already done half the medical training and it was a shame to throw it away," he noted.
After two years working as a labourer - scraping paint off parts in a lathe factory and packing trucks - then working as an architect's assistant, Dr. Burton was able to complete his medical training by obtaining the sponsorship of the Royal Air Force. The RAF offered him a commission as a pilot officer while he continued his medical training at the University of Sheffield.
Completing his qualifications at Sheffield, Dr. Burton was licensed by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons in 1984. Among other things, the first licence, reflecting the hundreds of years of history of medicine in Britain, means "I'm entitled to drive a herd of sheep across London Bridge - if I want to."
Dr. Burton's post-graduate studies in Britain included serving as Medical officer for No. 1 Squadron Harriers at RAF Wittering and Senior Medical Officer with RAF Waddington where he was involved in the introduction of AWAC aircraft (a highly sophisticated airborne radar surveillance system) in the United Kingdom. During this time, he undertook specialized training in obstetrics and gynaecology as well as psychiatry.
When the RAF was looking for a specialist in radiation medicine (specializing in the treatment of casualties from nuclear warfare) Dr. Burton applied and was accepted. He has become a recognized expert in the field and first came to Canada through his involvement in international joint committees on research and development in radiation medicine.
Dr. Burton left the RAF in 1996 and entered private practice on the Isle of Wight for the next three years. New and better opportunities in Canada led to several years with rural hospitals in Alberta.
Regionalization of health services and the closure of some rural hospitals in Alberta led to the Burtons' move to Ontario. Dr. Burton worked with the Department of National Defence as a public servant during the process of obtaining a licence to practice in Ontario. He is still in contact with Health Canada and other agencies as an expert on emergency responses to terrorist acts.
Comparing the Kemptville area to other places he's lived and worked, Dr. Burton says "we're still learning" about the area, adding "We get on very well with everybody."
Trish currently works at the Kemptville branch of the CIBC. Their eldest son returned to Britain to join the military as an officer, while the youngest is in his final year at St. Michael's High School.
For more information contact:
Chris Must, Director of Fundraising and Communications
Foundation Office - 258-6133, Ext. 194