Breaking Barriers in Nursing: The Legacy of Mabel and Iola Jones

Mabel and Iola Jones were born around the turn of the 20th century on the Cape Croker reserve in Georgian Bay, home to the Chippewas of Nawash. Their father was Chief Charles Kegedonce Jones.

Their interest in nursing was inspired by their grandmother, Margaret McLeod Jones, who was a traditional healer in the community. As Mabel and Iola’s sister, Olive Irene would later explain, their grandmother had taught them “many things about cures from tree bark and leaves, and plant roots and poultices made from gleanings from the face of Mother Earth”.

With their father’s support, Mabel applied first and was accepted into the Women’s College Hospital School of Nursing. In 1925, at just 17 years old, she travelled by horse and buggy to Owen Sound before boarding a train to Toronto to begin the hospital’s three-year nursing program. In 1928, Mabel became the first Indigenous nursing student to graduate from Women’s College Hospital.

Inspired by her sister’s path, Iola enrolled at the Women’s College Hospital School of Nursing the following year. She made the long journey to Toronto and then graduated with the class of 1932.

After graduation, the sisters followed different career paths. Mabel joined the Victorian Order of Nurses and served her community as a public health nurse, midwife and nutritionist for more than 30 years. She was well-known for combining western nursing practices with Indigenous healing practices using traditional plants.

Iola worked as a private duty nurse before joining Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, where she spent many years caring for patients. She stayed connected with Women’s College Hospital as a long-time member of the Executive Committee of the Alumnae Association of the Women’s College Hospital School of Nursing.

Mabel and Iola Jones helped break barriers for future generations of Indigenous nurses. During the first half of the 20th century, Indigenous women were excluded from most nursing schools throughout the country. Even after the Canadian Nurses’ Association declared in 1944 that “there be no discrimination in the selection of students for enrollment into schools of nursing,” Indigenous women still faced discrimination and barriers in nursing education.

This National Indigenous History Month, we honour the courage, determination and legacy of Mabel and Iola Jones. Their stories remind us of the important contributions Indigenous nurses have made to healthcare in Canada and the work that remains to achieve health equity. Women’s College Hospital remains committed to advancing Indigenous health, fostering culturally safe care and strengthening its role as an ally to Indigenous Peoples.