In 1971, the final class of 25 diploma-trained nurses graduated from the hospital-based nursing program, closing a chapter that began more than 100 years ago
NEWS RELEASE
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On June 1-4, approximately 13 nurses gathered in Sault Ste. Marie to celebrate the 55th anniversary of their graduation from the Plummer Memorial Public Hospital (PMPH) School of Nursing.
The reunion marked an important milestone in local health-care history. In 1971, almost exactly 55 years ago, the final class of 25 diploma-trained nurses graduated from the hospital-based nursing program, closing a chapter that began more than 100 years ago.
The original Royal Victoria Hospital Training School first opened in 1918 at 153 Albert Street East. In 1920, both the hospital and nursing school moved into the donated Plummer residence on Queen Street. The school graduated its first class of four nurses in 1921.
As the hospital expanded through the decades — with major additions in 1929, 1950, 1954, and 1963 — the nursing school remained housed within the historic Plummer residence. By the late 1950s, growing demand for nurses led to the construction of a modern student residence and nursing school building behind the hospital near the river.
Completed in 1958 at a cost of $400,000, the three-storey residence housed 60 nursing students and was connected to the hospital by tunnel.
Between 1921 and 1971, approximately 500 student nurses graduated from the PMPH School of Nursing.
Training during that era was demanding and immersive. Students completed rigorous theoretical coursework in first year, followed by specialized placements at institutions including SickKids Hospital in Toronto, North Bay Psychiatric Hospital, and Princess Margaret Hospital.
Nursing students also worked full-time rotations on all shifts throughout the hospital while living in residence.
In exchange, students received room and board, meals, uniforms, laundering services — and a monthly salary of $15.
“It was a thorough, closely supervised, exciting, and complete nursing education,” recalled members of the graduating class.
During the reunion, classmates reminisced about shared experiences, lifelong friendships, and how dramatically the profession has evolved over the decades. Conversations reflected on changes in health care, unionization, medical specialization, and modern nursing education.
Former classmates travelled from across Ontario and Saskatchewan, including Sudbury, Ottawa, Manitoulin Island, St. Catherines, Wawa, Thessalon, and Sault Ste. Marie, to reconnect and celebrate their shared history.
For the Class of 1971, the reunion served as more than a gathering — it was a tribute to an era of nursing defined by discipline, resilience, compassion, and lifelong bonds.
“Those training years were among the most rewarding, tough, happy, devastating, expansive, and fruitful times of our lives,” one graduate reflected. “The friendships and connections we made have lasted a lifetime.”
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