Snively, Mary Agnes National Historic Person
Toronto, Ontario
Mary Agnes Snively with students, ca. 1895
© Canadian Museum of History | Musée canadien de l'histoire, 2004-H0037.24, IMG2008-0067-0088-Dm
Address :
200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2011-07-19
Life Date:
1847 to 1933
Other Name(s):
-
Mary Agnes Snively
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2010-11
Importance:
Played a key role in organizing Canadian nurses and supporting their struggle for recognition as a legitimate science-based profession
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario
Mary Agnes Snively led the struggle for recognition of nursing as a legitimate science-based profession rather than a domestic pursuit. She founded the Canadian National Association of Trained Nurses in 1908 and served as its president during its formative years. The organization was the voice of registered nurses, with member societies in every province by 1924, when it became the Canadian Nurses Association. A respected teacher and administrator, Snively further advanced the profession by transforming the Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing into a model of education and patient care in Canada.