Healing Garden Nears Fundraising Goal at Aberdeen Hospital Press Release

The Aberdeen Health Foundation is excited to share the news release below from the Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Archives Society announcing the Echoes of Healing Commemorative Garden Project is nearing its fundraising goal.

 

News Release

Healing Garden Nears Fundraising Goal at Aberdeen Hospital

A tribute to the Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing and a lasting space for reflection and renewal

New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, July 23, 2025 – A new healing garden set to open this September on the grounds of Aberdeen Hospital is one step closer to reality, thanks to a wave of support from alumni, donors, and community partners.

The Echoes of Healing Commemorative Garden will offer patients, staff, and visitors a peaceful space for respite and reflection, while also honouring the legacy of the Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing. Located on the former site of the school, the garden project coincides with the 30th anniversary of its closure.

So far, $104,000 has been raised toward the project’s $121,645 goal, with major contributions from the Aberdeen Health Foundation, Aberdeen Alumni, and a number of municipal, provincial and federal grants. Now, the Aberdeen Hospital Archives Society is inviting the wider community to help bring the project across the finish line.

“In my experience, there has been an overwhelmingly positive response to this project,” says committee member and fundraiser Barbara Young. “Everywhere we turn, people are telling us this is a wonderful idea. Alumni are especially grateful the school is not being forgotten and that a garden is how we’ve chosen to mark its place in our history.”

The garden will feature a commemorative stone installation and lush vegetation, creating a space of calm and comfort for all who pass through. A gift toward the garden’s greenery would help complete the vision and provide long-lasting beauty to the hospital grounds.

“This positive feedback has reassured us that taking on this project was the right decision,” adds Young. “There are so many folks who say they can hardly wait for the end result, including our team.”

The project team is offering suggested donor recognition levels, including:

• $1,000 – Friend of the Garden
• $2,500 – Supporter of the Garden
• $5,000 – Leader of the Way

How to Support the Project

Community members who wish to contribute can support the Echoes of Healing Garden in the following ways:

• Online via CanadaHelps: Visit CanadaHelps.org/en/explore/fundraisers and search ‘Echoes of Healing – Memorial Healing Garden Aberdeen Hospital’
• E-transfer: Send to AberdeenArchives1897@gmail.com
• Cheque: Make payable to Aberdeen Hospital Auxiliary and mail to:
  Aberdeen Hospital Archives Society
  c/o Barbara Young
  PO Box 1582
  Stellarton, NS
  B0K 1S0

Quick Facts About the Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing:

• In November 1895, an appeal was sent to residents of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Westville, Trenton, and across Pictou County, highlighting the urgent need for a general hospital and a contagious disease annex. In response, the people of Pictou County came together to establish the Aberdeen Hospital and Nursing School.
• The Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing opened in 1897 and operated for 98 years before closing in 1995, serving as a vital training institution for the Pictou County community.
• It was the fourth of 25 nursing schools established in Nova Scotia.
• A total of 1,889 students graduated from the school, including 26 from the Radiology Program, 36 from the Laboratory Program, and 1,837 from the Nursing Program.
• In 2025, the school will mark the 30th anniversary of its closure.
• The Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing archives are housed in the basement of Aberdeen Hospital. Aberdeen Hospital and Victoria General Hospital are the only two facilities in the province with permanent onsite nursing school archives.
• Since 2015, the Archives has been working on a digitization project to preserve and catalogue all artifacts.

 

Media Contact

Kim Chisholm
Aberdeen Hospital Archives Society
AHSON.archives@gmail.com

 

 

Leslie Carlyle-Ebert
E: leslie@jott-expl.com

“other things being equal, simpler explanations are generally better than more complex ones”
Occam’s Razor

This is an acknowledgment that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.