Scarborough community council has voted unanimously to name a name long-term care home after Bernice Redmon, Canada’s first Black nurse.
Redmon, who lived from 1917 to 1993, was unable to train as a nurse in Canada because Black students were not accepted into nursing schools in the 1940s. So she traveled to the United States to get her credentials. She then returned to Canada to start her career with the Nova Scotia department of health in 1945.
Scarborough North Councillor Jamaal Myers recently organized a petition for residents to sign in support of this facility naming. Councillor Myers’ advocacy was clearly a factor in ensuring the unanimous support behind the naming of the building.
The long-term care home will be located at the corner of Finch Avenue East and Brimley Road. The home — which was announced in 2022 at a construction cost of $175 million — will house over 300 beds for seniors.
