Alfred Joseph Cooper (Anishinaabe)

Alfred Joseph Cooper (28 July 1931–13 January 2023) was an Anishinaabe physician from Wikwemikong whose medical career was centred in Timmins, Ontario. He earned his MD at the University of Ottawa in 1958 and became one of the first Indigenous Canadians to complete modern university medical training. Specifically, he was the third Indigenous Canadian to earn a modern, six- to eight-year MD in Canada and the second Indigenous graduate of the University of Ottawa. 1, 2, 3

Family origins and schooling

Cooper was born on 28 July 1931, the son of Alphonse and Adeline Mishibinijima. His family connections included his sister Violet Elizabeth Mary Overton, whose obituary uses the surnames Cooper and Mishibinijima and names Alfred and his wife Margaret among her surviving relatives in 2012. That notice also identifies sisters Stella, Marcella, Sara and Delma. 2, 3, 4

Cooper attended the residential school at Spanish in northern Ontario. In a 2005 Anishinabek News discussion of the Spanish schools, historian Alan Corbiere included him among former pupils who subsequently entered professional life. Cooper’s later qualification as a physician belongs within that history of Indigenous students pursuing further education after residential schooling. 3

The same newspaper discussion describes institutional coercion and the punishment of children for speaking their language. Basil Johnston’s memoir Indian School Days recounts the loneliness, deprivation and discipline of the Jesuit school at Spanish. Johnston’s account provides context for the institution; it should not be treated as a record of Cooper’s individual experiences. The sources consulted do not establish Cooper’s precise attendance dates or provide his own extended recollection of his school years. 3, 5

Medical education and academic milestones

Cooper received his MD from the University of Ottawa in 1958. His qualification within the modern sequence of university preparation and medical education, distinguishes this MD from the shorter training available to some nineteenth-century physicians. 1

Medical practice in Timmins

Cooper built a long career in general practice in Timmins. The Canadian Medical Association Journal’s obituary identifies his field as general practice, while his family’s funeral notice recalls almost sixty years of medical work in the city. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario records his first independent-practice certificate as issued on 11 November 1960. 6, 7, 8

A former colleague, Ray Tesluk, recalled working with Cooper in Timmins between 1968 and 1974 and stated that they served together as coroners. This remembrance adds a possible dimension to his local responsibilities, although it is a colleague’s retrospective testimony rather than an appointment record. 7

The medical register lists English and Ojibwa as his spoken languages. His knowledge of Ojibwe also appears in a scholarly work outside medicine, showing that his linguistic contribution extended beyond his professional registration. 8, 9

Language and historical scholarship

John S. Long consulted Cooper’s understanding of Ojibwe in Treaty No. 9: Making the Agreement to Share the Land in Far Northern Ontario in 1905. In his discussion of the name Abitibi, Long identifies Cooper as an Ojibwe physician and a graduate of the Spanish residential school. Cooper distinguished aabitaabing, referring to half a lake, from aapidaabing, which he understood as endless water. 9

This brief contribution is a documented example of Cooper’s participation in historical scholarship. Long used his explanation alongside other linguistic interpretations to consider how an Indigenous place-name might be understood. It demonstrates the relevance of his language knowledge to the interpretation of northern Ontario’s past. 9

Professional discipline and return to practice

Cooper’s professional history also includes serious disciplinary findings. On 10 May 1991, the College’s Discipline Committee found him guilty of professional misconduct. Its public summary records an offence relevant to his suitability to practise, improper use of prescribing or dispensing authority including falsification of a drug-related record, sexual impropriety with a patient, and disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct. The Committee ordered the revocation of his licence; his appeal was dismissed on 6 November 1992. 8

The register subsequently records acceptance of his reinstatement application on 15 April 1996 and issuance of a restricted certificate on 2 September 1997. He resigned from College membership effective 22 September 2021. 8

Family life and final years

Cooper and his wife Margaret had five children: Lorna, Nancy, Marlene, Deborah and Christopher. Deborah and Christopher predeceased him. His family remembered his devotion to Margaret, particularly the care he provided in later life. Away from medicine, he enjoyed fishing and boating on Manitoulin, bridge and cribbage, country music, films and hockey. He supported the Montreal Canadiens and enjoyed the companionship of dogs and cats. 2, 7

He died at Golden Manor in Timmins on 13 January 2023, aged ninety-one. The Canadian Medical Association Journal recorded that he was survived by Margaret, three children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His funeral Mass was held at Sacred Heart Church on 16 January, with interment at Timmins Memorial Cemetery. 2, 6, 7

Historical assessment

Cooper’s place in the supplied academic chronology rests on his 1958 MD. His subsequent life is documented through a long general practice in Timmins, knowledge of Ojibwe, a contribution to historical interpretation, family remembrance and the medical regulator’s record. Together, these sources support a biography that recognizes his educational achievement while retaining the complexities of his professional history. 1, 6, 8, 9

References

1. Indigenous Canadian Academic Milestones: A Timeline [user-supplied document]. [cited 2026 Oct 7]. Available from: https://indigenius-canada.wishartlab.com/pioneers/
2. TimminsToday. Cooper, Dr. Alfred [obituary on the Internet]. 2023 Jan 15 [cited 2026 Oct 11]. Available from: https://www.timminstoday.com/obituaries/cooper-dr-alfred-6380422
3. Switzer M. Basil Johnston among Garnier’s ‘graduates’. Anishinabek News [Internet]. 2005 Jan–Feb [cited 2026 Oct 11];16. Available from: https://anishinabeknews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2005-1.pdf
4. Wawa-news. Overton, (Cooper, Mishibinijima) Violet Elizabeth Mary [obituary on the Internet]. 2012 Oct 10 [cited 2026 Oct 11]. Available from: https://wawa-news.com/index.php/2012/10/10/overton-cooper-mishibinijima-violet-elizabeth-mary/
5. Johnston BH. Indian school days. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press; 1995. 256 p. Preview available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=kOI46tojN5gC
6. August 2023 obituaries. CMAJ. 2023;195(31):E1044–9. doi:10.1503/cmaj.231050. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10426343/
7. Lessard-Stephens Funeral Home. Dr. Alfred Cooper [obituary and memorial tributes on the Internet]. Timmins: Lessard-Stephens Funeral Home; 2023 [cited 2026 Oct 11]. Available from: https://memorials.lessardstephens.com/dr-alfred-cooper/5117103/index.php
8. College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Alfred Joseph Cooper: physician information, CPSO number 17729 [Internet]. Toronto: CPSO; [cited 2026 Oct 11]. Available from: https://register.cpso.on.ca/physician-info/?cpsonum=17729
9. Long JS. Treaty no. 9: making the agreement to share the land in far northern Ontario in 1905. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press; 2010. p. 272–3.