Nurses’ equipment from the Unité sanitaire de Sept-Îles, 1965-75
M.R.C.N. 2023.53+
Donated by Mrs. Lucie Lessard, Sept-Îles, June 15, 2023
Mrs. Lessard grew up in the village of Les Bergeronnes, Haute-Côte-Nord, in a family of 10 children. She obtained her nursing degree in 1964 (Quebec City), a bachelor’s degree in nursing science in 1980, then a master’s certificate in occupational health from Université Laval in 1986.
After a 6-month internship at the Unité sanitaire de Sept-Îles, she was meant to start working at the Godbout dispensary, which had shut down in the meantime, so she was hired by the Unité sanitaire de Sept-Îles as a public health nurse, under the guidance of Dr. Léopold Riverin. She would work there from 1965 to 1975.
This service was created in 1952 by the ministère de la Santé du Québec. Originally, the unit was based in École Saint-Joseph, which has since become Flemming. It was then relocated to the hospital in 1963, shortly after it opened.
During those ten years, full of experiences of all kinds, Mrs. Lessard has worked in many communities in the north and east of the Côte-Nord, such as Gagnon, Schefferville, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Port-Cartier, Natashquan, and the surrounding regions.
In 1984, the CLSC de Sept-Îles was created, and the Unité sanitaire was merged into it. Having retired in 1997, Mrs. Lessard continues to work passionately as a volunteer with various organizations, such as the CHSLD de Sept-Îles, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary , and the Apostleship of the Sea.
A unique medical collection: traces of the health care of yesteryear
This collection of about thirty medical artifacts attracts particular attention. A stethoscope, a first-aid kit of the time, rudimentary medical devices and a nurse’s cap from yesteryear make up this fascinating collection.
These artifacts all bear witness to the evolution of medical practices on the Côte-Nord. They tell a small part of the story of field medicine, carried out in sometimes precarious conditions, where health care workers had to adapt to the realities of a vast and insular region.
Each instrument, each accessory holds a story and bears witness to the evolution of medical knowledge and the technical means available to health care workers over the decades. An invaluable heritage to be discovered within the collections of the Musée de la Côte-Nord, and available through the new permanent exhibition, Côte-Nord – Stretches of Time.
