imes , ▁James ▁Bay , ▁and ▁Great ▁L akes ▁area . ▁It ▁reached ▁the ▁west ▁coast al ▁regions ▁of ▁Canada ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 0 s . ▁On ▁numerous ▁occasions , ▁the ▁disease ▁was ▁used ▁with ▁official ▁san ction ▁by ▁British ▁troops ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁germ ▁war fare ▁to ▁suppress ▁ind igen ous ▁populations . ▁After ▁the ▁small po x ▁v acc ine ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁Canada ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁by ▁John ▁C lin ch , ▁more ▁concert ed ▁efforts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁stem ▁the ▁further ▁spread ▁of ▁small po x . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁Dr . ▁Alexander ▁Stewart ' s ▁Ontario ▁V acc ine ▁Farm ▁in ▁Pal mer ston , ▁Ontario ▁successfully ▁provided ▁a ▁depend able ▁supply ▁of ▁v acc ines ▁to ▁much ▁of ▁Canada . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁newly - est ab lished ▁Con n aught ▁Labor ator ies ▁purchased ▁the ▁equipment ▁of ▁the ▁Ontario ▁V acc ine ▁Farm ▁and ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁production ▁process ▁to ▁bring ▁domestic ▁inc id ences ▁under ▁control ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁The ▁Institut ▁de ▁micro bi ologie ▁et ▁d ’ hy gi ène ▁( now ▁) ▁at ▁the ▁Univers ité ▁de ▁Montr éal ▁began ▁prepar ing ▁the ▁small po x ▁v acc ine ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁primarily ▁for ▁distribution ▁in ▁Québec . ▁ ▁Coll abor ation ▁with ▁the ▁World ▁Health ▁Organ ization ▁ ▁In