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

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

 

Rare Books and Special Collections Tour

Here is a photo of BCHNS members that visited the Rare Books and Special Collections at the UBC Library, guided by Archivist Krisztina Laszio, on June 21, 2018. Nan Martin in the foreground is viewing some of the Florence Nightingale letters.
Many of the letters are addressed to Nightingale while others are sent from her or involve other correspondents discussing Nightingale. The letters date from 1877 to 1965. A substantial portion of the collection was purchased from a Bostonian antiquarian book dealer in 1966 and 1967 by the Woodward Library. Online access to these digitized letters can be found at https:///open.library.ubc.ca/collections/florence

Nina Rumen celebrates 90th Birthday

Nina Rumen celebrated her 90th birthday on Saturday October 14, 2017.  Her actual birthday was October 12th. Her sisters Vera and Olga hosted the party at the South Granville Park Lodge, Nina’s current home. Family and friends gathered to celebrate Nina’s incredible life and career. Three members of the BCHNS attended, Don Ransom, Glennis Zilm and Sheila Zerr.  Many stories were shared and Nina enjoyed the fun, presents and reminders of times past. Purple is Nina’s favorite color. The birthday cupcakes, bearing purple icing, along with the buffet of delicious food were enjoyed by all. A bouquet of flowers was presented to Nina on behalf of the BCHNS.

Happenings in History

Member Sonya Grypma has an article published in The Journal of Quality Advancement in Nursing Education (QANE). The article “Historically-Informed Nursing: The Untapped Potential of History in Nursing Education” can be downloaded here: http://qane-afi.casn.ca/journal/vol3/iss1/2/

Julie Lapinsky, a BCHNS supporter, alerted us to an article about a new memorial for First World War nurses.  To read the article click here: https://legionmagazine.com/en/2016/03/new-memorial-honours-first-world-war-nurses/

Be sure to visit the VGH School of Nursing Alumnae Association’s web site. It has a new look!  Click here: http://vghnursingschoolalumnae.com/

Military Nurse Maxine Bredt at Vimy Ridge

Maxine was a delegate last week that travelled to Vimy Ridge with other veterans sponsored by Veteran’s Affairs Canada. She did her nurses training at  Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria and served in Italy & England in WWll

In this photo Maxine is at the tunnels with her daughter Christine on her left attended as her caregiver.

Maxine has been a lively member at RJH reunions & BCHNS luncheons attending with her nursing classmate, June Newton and they served together in the War.