A Legacy of Advocacy: The History of FASD in Manitoba (1970s – 2014)
Manitoba's response to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder has been shaped, from the very beginning, by community members who saw a need and organized around it — not by policy handed down from above.
This report traces that history: from the earliest medical discussions of FASD in the 1970s and 80s, through the 1993 formation of the Committee on Alcohol and Pregnancy (which would eventually become the Manitoba FASD Coalition), to the development of specialized diagnostic clinics, school programs, and mentoring supports across the province.
Along the way, Manitoba became a national and international leader in the field — home to Canada's first FASD diagnostic guidelines, one of the earliest dedicated FASD classrooms in a Canadian public school system, and prevention programs later adopted elsewhere in the country.
Compiled through interviews with 22 people who lived this history firsthand, the full report captures the successes, the setbacks, and the lessons that continue to shape FASD work in Manitoba today.
📄 Download the full report: History of FASD in Manitoba, 1970s–2014
