The Nursing Sisters' Association of Canada Collection
The artifacts in the
Nursing
Sisters' Association of Canada collection make up a significant
sub-collection within the larger CNA collection. Nursing sisters
are nurses who have served within the Canadian Armed Forces.
They first formed an association in Edmonton in 1920 as a means
of keeping nurses who had served overseas during the First World
War in contact. A number of other associations followed and, in
1929, they convened in Montreal to form the Overseas Nursing
Sisters' Association of Canada.
In 1944, with the Second World War at its height, membership was
broadened to include all nurses serving with the Canadian Armed
Forces, and the title Nursing Sisters' Association of Canada was
adopted. Today, membership includes dieticians, home sisters
(ones without full professional training), and occupational and
physical therapists.
The organization's historical collection, which includes
uniforms, medals, paintings, documents and photographs, was
housed at the CNA headquarters in Ottawa. In 2000, the uniforms,
medals and paintings - numbering about 200 items in
all - were transferred to the custody of the Canadian War
Museum. The documents and photographs were taken to the National
Archives, although copies will be made available at the Canadian
War Museum.
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