Salvation Army Grace Nurses: Honouring a Legacy of Compassion and Care in Newfoundland and Labrador

National Nursing Week 2026 takes place from Monday, May 11 to Sunday, May 17. This week we celebrate the remarkable dedication and service of nurses across Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

Sandra White (nee Snow) remembers being just five years old when watching in awe as the local Salvation Army Grace nursing school graduates, along with first and second-year students, paraded through her hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Led by a Salvation Army brass band, the students would travel to a nearby church—an annual tradition to honour and celebrate the nursing school’s graduating class.

As years went by, White, a dedicated Salvationist, became increasingly interested in the nursing profession and later entered training at the same Salvation Army Grace General Hospital School of Nursing in September 1969.

The early years
In 1923, The Salvation Army Grace General Hospital opened its doors in St. John’s and so came its School of Nursing. Those in the region wishing to become nurses once had to travel out of province for specialized training but this soon changed once the nursing school opened, offering local training for prospective nurses, with a focus in its early years on obstetrics and maternity care.

Similar Grace hospitals and nursing programs operated across Canada over the years. The first Salvation Army Grace General Hospital was established in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1904. A new building for the hospital was built in 1906, including a nursing school.

Memories to last a lifetime
Leslie Ann Rowsell (nee Avery) graduated from the St. John’s school in 1989. Like White did before her, Rowsell also dreamed of becoming a nurse as a young child.

“The Grace was a natural fit,” Rowsell says. “I had grown up within The Salvation Army church and was proud to attend a school with the same value system, and many familiar faces. I remember being a candy striper back in high school. This allowed me to see nurses in their environment, and I wanted to be just like them”.

Rowsell remembers her time as a nursing student very well and says they were some of the best days of her life. She goes on to say that long-lasting friendships were cultivated back then, many of which continue to this day. A real sense of family and connection was created in those hallways and classrooms.

“The expectations were high,” Rowsell says. “Pressures for academic results were not lost on us…there were long hours of study time in the residence. We worked hard but played hard as well. Pots and pans nights, orientation rituals for new students, and sharing one pay phone are fond memories of life back then”.

White also speaks very highly of her time as a student and shares that those nursing days and experiences have greatly impacted her life and helped mold her into the person she is today.

“We are finalizing plans for our 55^th reunion in September 2027,” she says. “We meet three to four times a year for coffee and potlucks, and always when one of our classmates returns from away for a visit. We support each other as we’ve had many different experiences in our lives and careers. I have never forgotten the basic principles we were taught: respect, individualism, compassion (to treat every patient as if they were a family member), professionalism, and of course our nursing ethics”.

After graduation, Rowsell spent 36 years working as a nurse in Newfoundland and Labrador. White also worked as a nurse in the region for many years after graduating in 1972. Both women eventually moved into management and administrative roles before retiring.

In the year 2000, The Salvation Army Grace General Hospital in St. John’s closed permanently. Its nursing program ended a few years prior in 1998.

The heart of a healthcare team
Rowsell believes that nurses have been given a gift to be able to care for patients at their lowest, most vulnerable times. She acknowledges that the ability to give of yourself to serve others is a privilege and one she has never taken for granted in her career.

White adds, “Nurses are a very important component of our healthcare system. In these changing and challenging times with their expanding scope of practice, I feel nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and should be valued and respected”.

“Should we celebrate nurses? Absolutely!” Rowsell exclaims. “Every nurse will say it takes a team to deliver the best care, so the celebration is for anyone who enters a healthcare profession. We need every role working to do ours right”.

The legacy continues
Each year, The Salvation Army Grace Scholarship is awarded to four recipients studying nursing in the province. This scholarship was established by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in honour of The Salvation Army Grace General Hospital. The Salvation Army Grace Scholarship recognizes students who have not only excelled academically but have also demonstrated significant community service and involvement in the Christian faith. This year’s award recipients will be announced in the coming days.

A trip down memory lane
In 1940, the first edition of The Bib and Apron was published—the nursing school’s annual yearbook. Click here to access the yearbook archives and revisit a very special piece of Salvation Army history in Atlantic Canada.

Click here to watch the last parade of Grace Hospital nursing graduates in St. John’s in June 1998.

By Deborah Waines-Bauer