FOCUS - DECEMBER 2017 3 Few milestone moments in a per- son’s life follow a formal timeline; most rely on feeling to sense when the time is right. Dr BobAllin’s recent decision to retire blended the two. “I’m 77 years old now, so I felt the time was right to slow down,” he says. “And on July 17th of this year, I passed 50 years’ practice here in Port Perry.” July, 1967. Canada celebrated its centennial. The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” ruled the album chart while “You Only Live Twice,” the latest James Bond installment, crowded local movie theatres. Slightly less than three thousand bucks brought the soft-top version of Ford’s Mustang – the high- way’s hotest car – to your driveway. And in our town, a relocated WWII munitions factory was serving as the community’s hospital when Bob Allin, who’d previously practiced medicine in British Columbia and Brooklin, joined its staff. He recalls that day clearly. “My first-ever task there was ad- ministering anesthetic,” he remem- bers. “The assigned person hadn’t shown up that morning, and the surgeon needed someone for the job. I told him I’d had some experience in BC, so he asked me to step in.” Formally joining the staff required an application for privileges there. “It sure was easy, compared to nowadays,” he chuckles. “Today it takes months and miles of red tape to gain privileges in any Ontario hospi- tal. But back in those days, just five minutes to fill out a one-page form!” Once established, Bob and two of his medical school classmates proved visionary. “We decided to start a clinic. Up till then, many people from Port Perry had to go to other centres, like Oshawa, to a family doctor.” The Port Perry Medical Associates facility the three founded – just them- selves and a dentist in 1967 – con- tinues to thrive today with a staff in excess of 40 physicians. So it’s hard to envision its humble, even precari- ous, roots. “We were out on a limb,” Bob explains of the clinic’s start-up. “The bank said that two new doctors had just come on board [at another facili- ty], so would the community support three more? The hospital board gave us a loan – interest-free for a year – to get started.” Soon it was evident the initiative would be a success: just a year later, more doctors joined the clinic. “We had a sound business model. And because Port Perry became a teaching hospital, many interns came there, decided they liked the town, and eventually became part of our staff.” After a Half Century of Caring ….. The Doctor is OUT! ...................... Please turn to page 5 Dr. Bob Allin, relaxing at home! PHOTOS BY MARYANN FLEMING