Changing the face of community nursing

AFTER serving the community for 70 years the
North Shore branch of the Victorian Order of

Nurses has disbanded.

In a final gesture of
generosity it handed over the
balance of its funds to the
Lions Gate Hospital
Foundation. Donations and
bequests to the mnewly-
formed foundation are used
for special hospital projects
not eligible for outside
funding.

A $12,000 cheque was
handed over to LGH Board

President Ken Bruce
Tuesday by Mrs. Peggy
Johnston. a VON Board

member since 1938. Also on
hand to honour the VON
were the mayors of the three
North Shore municipalities.

The VON’'s North Van-
couver branch was formed in
1912 by a group fo 20 women
recognizing the need for a
community nursing services.
The West Vancouver branch
was set up in 1940 and the
two amalgamated in 1968 to
serve the area from Deep
Cove to Horseshoe Bay.

The first visiting nurse
worked alone and used het
bedroom as her office.
travelling to her patients by
stectcar or bicycle. said
Johnston. ,

Eventually the support
group raised moncy for a car
and in 1947 obtained a
second which Mrs. Johnston
and a colleague drove back
to B.C. from Oshawa “quite
an experience in those
days!”

Over the years the VON
raised money with Tag Days,
bake sales. teas, donations
and bequests. In the later
years annual grants came

from the municipalities and
the provincial government.
“At one time the shipyard
gave us a job sorting rivets at
four cents a pound. That one
didn’t last very long — we
soon went back to the more
traditional ways of raising
money,” said Mrs. Johnston.
The VON’s objectives
have always remained the
same, to set up and maintain
a visiting nurse service,
demonstrate nursing
methods and to help prevent
disease within the com-
munity. 7

It has been responsible for
establishing many of taday’s

4mportant health services
such as prenatal classes.
physiotherapy, homemake-

“rs, tneals on wheels, stoma
and respiratory therapy and
industrial nursing services.
Some of these now functidn
independently, others have

been sponsored by the
government.

“So many people have
given generously of their

time and themselves to work
with us,” said Mrs. Johnston.

“It is very sad to ‘see the
end of the VON on the North
Shore. The visiting nurse

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was always a special type of

person, the best kind of
nurse, and the patients loved
them. I don’t personally

think that we will ever really
have that same individual
touch again.

The work of the local
VON has been absorbed in
the general medical care
system. The home nursing
function ceased a couple of
years ago and is now per-
formed by the North Shore
public health unit.

The final remaining aspect
of the North Shore VON, the
homemaker service, has
been taken over by the
North Shore Community
Homemaker Society, for-
med a year ago by VON
directors.

President of the disbanded
VON, Earl Snook, is now
president of the
homemaking service and
says: “In essence we are still
here but under = another
name.”

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A3 - Sunday, April 4, 1982 - North Shore News"

HARRIE

H
LP

CLOSING THE BOOKS on a 70-year history of service
to the North Shore, the Victorian Order of Nurses
officially disbanded Tuesday, handing over their funds
at a ceremony attended by the North Shore's three
civic leaders. Pictured left to right are North Shore
VON Vice-President Murray Knowles, West Van-
couver Mayor Derrick Humphreys, Vancouver VON
member Polly Nelles, North Shore VON member Val
Young, North Shore VON homemaker Wendy
Thomson, North Shore VON members Betty Mitchell
and Ruth Caldwell, Vancouver City Mayor Jack
Loucks, Lions Gate Hospital President Ken Bruce,
North Shore VON member Peggy Johnston, North
Shore VON President Earl. Snook, Past President Joan
Sawers and North Vancouver District Mayor Don Bell.
(Ellsworth Dickson photo)

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