British nurses visit Jasper to honour Edith Cavell, raise funds for nurses in crisis

Thirty-five nurses and nursing students from the United Kingdom accompanied by family members are in Jasper this month to celebrate the life of nurse Edith Cavell and raise money for a British charity that supports nurses and other health professionals in financial or personal crisis. 

In all, about 70 members and supporters of the Cavell Nurses’ Trust are visiting Jasper National Park from August 22 to 29, as part of the ongoing centennial commemorations of the death of Edith Cavell, who was shot by a German Army firing squad on October 12, 1915, for helping Allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium. 

On August 24, the British group laid a wreath at the base of Mount Edith Cavell, 23 kilometres south of the Jasper town site. That event was attended by representatives of United Nurses of Alberta and UNA President Heather Smith laid a bouquet of roses in memory of Cavell. UNA later hosted a lunch at the Jasper Park Lodge for the British nurses and their supporters.

Jon Penhale, Operations Director of the Cavell Nurses’ Trust, said the group was “excited to be holding our first international challenge at such a fitting location. We want to recognize the bravery of Edith Cavell but more importantly we want to raise vital funds to help today’s nurses, health care assistants and midwives are facing difficult times.” The group has called for a doubling of the number of nurses in the United Kingdom.

Mount Edith Cavell was named in 1916, after the death of the British nurse became an international cause célèbre which did no good for the German war effort. The Cavell Nurses’ Trust was established in 1917.