Surrey Museum presents “Canadian Nurses in War Time”

For Remembrance Day, the Surrey Museum will once again present the one-hour presentation ‘Canadian Nurses in War Time,’ by Renée Saklikar and Ishbel Newstead. The poem-play, written by Surrey’s former poet laureate, is an artistic response to an exhibit about Canadian nurses in war time.  Research was by Ishbel Newstead, a dedicated volunteer with Museum of Surrey and Historic Stewart Farm, who sought help from BCHNS archives and various members.  The author and researcher do the play’s readings.

The poem-play is dedicated to nurses who served in WW 2, and tells the stories of three BC Nursing Sister veterans well-known to BCHNS members.  It was first presented at the Museum in 2017 – and was well received.  This year, the daughter of Margaret Mainwaring, one of the featured BC nursing/sister veterans and who died earlier this year at age 107, is planning to attend while on a visit to Surrey.

BCHNS Members who live in the area may want to try to attend.  The presentation follows the 11 am Remembrance Day ceremonies held at the Surrey Cenotaph, located next door to the Museum.

Thanks to Glennis Zilm for sending this information.

Helen Shore’s new book just released!

In the just-published Shore to Shore: A record of the Shore family of Sheffield, England, to London, Ontario, BCHNS life-member Helen Shore has written an utterly charming and easy-to-read family memoir. The 120-page book is lavishly illustrated, with many of the photographs in color.  It is filled with delightful anecdotes of her Shore family relatives, whom she can follow dating back to 1440. The work completes a project to research the family tree that her father began when she was just a young child. Fascinated by his stories, Helen continued to work on the family project with him until his death. Some of the anecdotes and stories concern her relative Florence Nightingale (whose father was born a Shore, but who changed his name when as an adult he inherited the Nightingale properties).  History buffs will appreciate the way she has fleshed out the bare branches of a family tree with information about the various home’s family members established throughout England and with information on the ways the various wars and other socio-economic events shaped the family fortunes.

Helen, now in her 95th year, is the last of the “Canadian Shores” and wanted to see her father’s work and the family memories preserved. Friends of Helen definitely will not want to miss this. The book is available for only $19.95 (plus shipping) through Amazon.ca.

Reviewed by Glennis Zilm, Oct. 24, 2019

2019 Veterans’ Week Poster

Maxine Bredt, a graduate from the Royal Jubilee Hospital, celebrated her 100th birthday on September 21, 2019. She recently received a quilt of valour and now is featured on the 2019 Veterans’ Week Poster.

2019 Veterans’ Week Poster

Canada remembers the Italian Campaign

This year Canada is observing the 75th anniversary of the Second World War’s Italian Campaign. It was one of our country’s most important contributions to the Allied war effort; more than 93,000 Canadians served in Italy from the summer of 1943 to early 1945. Our soldiers fought their way across the island of Sicily and up the boot of Italy across a challenging landscape of mountains and river valleys in the face of harsh weather conditions and a skilled enemy.

This special commemorative poster features Lieutenant Maxine Llewelyn Bredt. She was a Nursing Sister in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps who helped treat the sick and wounded during the Italian Campaign. A recent picture of Ms. Bredt in her former uniform is superimposed on an historical photo showing soldiers of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in the Sicilian town of Agira after capturing it in July 1943.

To see the poster click here https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/get-involved/remembrance-day/posters/2019

 

 

 

A special program commemorating 100 years of academic nursing education at UBC, 1919 – 2019

BCHNS conference participants Lynne Esson and Irene Goldstone with Dr. Alice Baumgart in the audience
Geertje Boschma

 

The joint conference of the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine and the Canadian Association for the History of Nursing, held during the Congress 2019 at UBC from June 1 – 3, was host to a special program celebrating the centenary of the UBC School of Nursing. In a pre-lunch seminar session Geertje Boschma (UBC) and Margaret Scaia (UVic) examined the start and beginning decades of the first nursing degree program in Canada at UBC. They highlighted the contextual influences of public health and higher education that shaped the course of the degree program, and explored its meaning for women who took the program in the 1950s and 1970s.Continue reading

“Who is Taking Care of History?”

                     

2019 BCHF Annual Conference

                        June 6 – 9, 2019, Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland B.C.

 

Glennis Zilm and Nan Martin were delighted to represent our Society at yet another very successful BC Historical Federation conference in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland. The meetings took place in the historic Native Sons Hall in Courtenay.  Many activities and events included fascinating local and historical information from passionate keynote speakers, field trips, and as always, an elegant BC Book Prize Gala. An Ideas Fair was added this year – see attached photos of the BCHNS half table display. Look for a detailed report in our summer newsletter.

Nursing Sister Maxine Bredt receives a Quilt of Valor

Joanne Whitelaw, daughter of the late June Newton, sent us an e-mail telling us that her mother’s friend and fellow nursing sister Maxine Bredt, had recently received a Quilt of Valor.   Maxine, a graduate of the Royal Jubilee Hospital served with her classmate June at hospitals in Italy and England during World War II.

The mission of the Quilt of Valour Society is “to ensure that injured Canadian Forces members are recognized for their service and commitment to our country. We give this support through the presentation of quilts to comfort our past and present Canadian Forces members.” To learn more about the Society visit https://www.quiltsofvalour.ca/about-qovc.html

Maxine was thrilled and honored to receive a quilt. Joanne plans to visit her mother’s friend later in the month and will share more pictures with us.

Nursing Sister Jessie Middleton passes away.

Jessie Middleton (nee Lee) passed away peacefully on May 22, 2019 at the age of 102. The youngest of 12 children, she was born and raised on the family farm in Murrayville BC.  She entered the nursing program at the Royal Columbian Hospital and graduated in September of 1939 just one day after Canada declared war on Germany. Eager to serve her country, Jessie joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1942 and nursed injured soldiers both in Canada and England. She considered this work as “the greatest privilege for me”.

A service in celebration and remembrance of Jessie’s life will be held at 2 pm on Friday June 7th at Trinity Memorial United Church in Abbotsford.

To read Jessie’s full obituary and find out more about her remarkable life as a Canadian nursing sister, here are some links:

https://www.abbynews.com/obituaries/jessie-annie-middleton-nee-lee/

http://elinorflorence.com/blog/canadian-nurses-wartime

 

Celebrating 100 years at the UBC School of Nursing

Under the gorgeous sunny sky the long awaited event of the Ethel Johns’ plaque being unveiled in the garden adjacent to the UBC hospital brought to an end the long 12 years  process of her being recognized as a Person of Interest by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Ethel Johns was the first Director of the UBC School of Nursing and so fitting that the unveiling would be the first event of the UBC School of Nursing’s events celebrating it’s 100 years.   Elizabeth Saewyc, the present Director of Nursing performed the unveiling of the plaque.  For more information you can scroll down to page 11 of this blog to read more, as well, there will be more photos & information in the upcoming newsletter.