Who was Rene M. Caisse?
Rene M. Caisse (pronounced REEN M CASE ) was born in Bracebridge, Ontario on August 11th, 1888.
She was baptized as Mary Anna but throughout her life she would be best known as Rene M. Caisse. Her lifetime ambition was to become a nurse and ease the suffering of humanity. To achieve her goal she left Bracebridge at age 21 and studied nursing in Connecticut, returning to Bracebridge in 1910 as a graduate nurse.
In the 1920's Rene developed a cancer treatment
based on an Indian herbal remedy, which she name Essiac (her last name spelled backwards). For many years she treated men and women from Muskoka and abroad, all of whom had been diagnosed as having cancer.
In her 90th year, Rene provided her carefully guarded list of ingredients in a sealed envelope
for safekeeping to Lieutenant-Governor Pauline M. McGibbon in 1977. Essiac Canada International now manufacture Essiac and distribute it world-wide.
The Bracebridge Arts Council
The Bracebridge Arts Council (BAC) was founded in 1988 to promote the Arts in the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Area. At that time the BAC served as an umbrella organization and held many events to showcase artists of all kinds.
In 1990 the BAC became an Ontario Corporation
whose mission statement is to promote stimulate and enhance the enjoyment and understanding of the arts as well as to encourage the pursuit of excellence in performance, craftmanship and design.