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Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin in Alliston

A bottle of insulin is pictured. (AFP) A bottle of insulin is pictured. (AFP)
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Barrie, Ont. -

One of the most significant Canadian discoveries in medical history, insulin, happened 100 years ago in Alliston.

One of the men behind the discovery, Sir Frederick Banting, was born and raised in the small town. 

Banting came up with the idea for insulin, saving countless lives around the world of those who have diabetes.

The Alliston native teamed up with Prof. John James Rickard Macleod, Charles Best and Dr. James Bertram Collip at the University of Toronto, and the experiments and testing began.

Since that time, insulin has saved countless lives of diabetics around the world.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the medical breakthrough, the Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation invites people to walk in his footsteps Friday through Sunday.

"We do our presentation in the drive shed, which is a historic 103-year-old building, and then you come and tour the farmhouse, and then you get a nice little takeaway when you're done," explained the foundation's program coordinator, Kait Perez Diaz.

Attendees can also walk the legacy trail on the property's 107 acres.

All the programs are entirely run on donations.

More information is available here.

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