▁orch estr ated ▁with ▁an ▁eye ▁to ▁the ▁" D - Day " ▁land ings ▁in ▁occupied ▁France ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁Tri al ▁and ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁pol io ▁v acc ine : ▁ 1 9 4 6 - 1 9 6 0 s ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁pol io ▁out break s ▁grew ▁larger ▁and ▁more ▁severe ▁as ▁the ▁disease ▁struck ▁most ▁provinces ▁from ▁west ▁to ▁east . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁Canada ’ s ▁worst ▁pol io ▁ep ide mic ▁year , ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁almost ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁cases ▁had ▁claimed ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁ 4 9 4 ▁people ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁Robert ▁Def ries , ▁Director ▁of ▁Con n aught ▁Labor ator ies , ▁began ▁an ▁initi ative ▁to ▁tack le ▁the ▁growing ▁pol io ▁problem . ▁To ▁reflect ▁the ▁institution ' s ▁expand ing ▁scope ▁of ▁v iro log y ▁research , ▁Con n aught ▁was ▁renamed ▁" Con n aught ▁Medical ▁Research ▁Labor ator ies ". ▁The ▁initi ative ▁benef itted ▁from ▁a ▁sur ge ▁in ▁available ▁pol io ▁research ▁fund ing , ▁particularly ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁where ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ' s ▁personal ▁pol io ▁experience ▁had ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Foundation ▁for ▁Inf ant ile ▁Par al ysis ▁( N FI P ), ▁later ▁renamed ▁March