Sir Frederick Banting

London, Ontario – This is where Sir Frederick is said to have woken up at 2 am on October 31, 1920 with the idea that led to the discovery of insulin – a discovery that has changed many millions of lives around the world.

Banting, who was the co-discoverer of Insulin, only lived here for about 10 months. He attempted to start a private practice, but wound up moving on to Toronto to continue his work on insulin. Now the house is the home of the London branch of the Canadian Diabetes Association, and is a National Historic Site. It has been turned into a museum to honour Banting. Exhibits at the house include the frame of the bed he was sleeping in when he woke up with the idea, and a replica of his Nobel Prize, which he won in 1923.

The Banting House photo by Compmouse / Wikimedia Commons

You will also see artifacts from his work as an artist, this is a hobby he picked up while living in London, which he continued throughout the rest of his career. He enjoyed painting Canadian landsacapes, and became a good  friend of Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson, joining him on excursions, including to the eastern Arctic.