Shore, Helen Louise (1925-2020)

  • See Pages of History, Fonds 18, Series 3, Subseries 9, File 2

Helen has made significant contributions to the development of the nursing community.  She received her RN from VGH in 1946, her BSN from the UBC School of Nursing in 1961, and a Master’s of Arts in Adult Education in 1971.  Her initial work as a staff nurse in a psychiatric ward was followed by brief periods of work in Bermuda and Calgary, and longer periods at the Royal Columbian Hospital at New Westminster and as a Public Health Nurse for the Vancouver Health Department.  From 1965 to 1990 she was a faculty member at the UBC School of Nursing.

Helen was involved with many volunteer activities and professional organizations, most recently as President from 1992-1994 of the History of Nursing Professional Practice Group.  In 1972 she received a Woodward Foundation award to travel to England to survey health needs of the elderly, and services available.  In 1975 she received a Merit Award for excellence in teaching and in 1990 the Nursing Division’s Distinguished Alumnae Award. Later awards included the UBC Nursing Partnership Award in 2013 and 2016, in recognition of the UBC Faculty of Applied Science 100th year, the Dean’s Medal.  Helen is an honorary life member of the BC History of Nursing Society

Contents of Biographical File

  1. Biographical Information Profile
  2. UBC Curriculum Vitae
  3. UBC SON Project oral history transcript October 31, 1993
  4. Articles by Helen Shore
    1. “Adopters and Laggards”, The Canadian Nurse (July 1972), pp. 36-38.
    2. “Pioneering Spirit Lives On”, Nursing BC, January-February 1993, pp. 22-23.
    3. “Frances Redmond: A Pioneer in Community Health in Vancouver”, Canadian Journal of Public Health, January-February 1993, p. 13.
    4. “Emily Susan Patterson: Vancouver’s First Nurse”, B.C. News (Summer 1993), pp. 20-21.
    5. “Cottage Hospitals in British Columbia”, BC Historical News (Fall 2000), 33 (4), 4-17.
  5. Remembrance Day program, November 11, 1998. UBC address on the history of military nursing in Canada, given by Helen Shore, with two colour photographs.
  6. Alumni Association of the University of British Columbia, “Overview of Helen Shore’s Professional Career”.  Presented March 1990 on the occasion of Helen receiving the Nursing Division’s Distinguished Alumnae Award.
  7. “Helen Shore Endowment Fund Supports Chronic Illness Research”, Touchpoints, July 2003, p. 6.
  8. Jennifer M.L. Stephens, “A Profile of Helen Shore, UBC Nursing Leader and Patron”, UBC Nursing Student Journal 2 (1), pp. 12-14.
  9. Transcript of oral history interview, October 31, 1993
  10. Helen Shore: Nursing Pioneer Leaves Bequest to School of Nursing: UBC Gift and Estate Planning,
  11. Photograph
  12. On her 75th birthday, 2000.
  13. Biographical information in Health and Home Care newsletter, Spring 2016.
  14. Correspondence with Sheila Zerr. – 2005.
  15. Pages of history information