Frank Mewburn was a surgeon, politician, army officer, and university professor. On his arrival to Lethbridge early in 1886 he was also made acting assistant surgeon to the local detachment of the North-West Mounted Police. Later he became chief medical officer of the Canadian Pacific Railway. On three occasions he served as mayor of Lethbridge.
At the outbreak of World War 1 at his own expense, he travelled to London. He was taken on strength as a Major in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on July 1, 1915. Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1916, he was posted to the Duchess of Connaught’s Canadian Red Cross Hospital (later Number 15 Canadian General Hospital) at Taplow, in charge of the surgical division. In 1918 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire. A stone cairn was erected in his honour in 1937 on the grounds of the Galt Hospital in Lethbridge.
