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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Anne Whittaker wanted to celebrate her retirement from 35 years of nursing in the Northwest Territories with a party, something she said does not happen for retiring nurses who often get overlooked when it's time to say goodbye.

"When a doctor retires it's a big deal, but when a nurse retires it's not anything, so I'm throwing my own party," Whittaker said. "I just wanted somebody to acknowledge the fact that nurses are often not really celebrated and I think that is wrong. Nursing is an awesome profession and we do a lot of wonderful things for people, so I'm celebrating it with my family and friends."

With the Negus Place cul-de-sac blocked off, she threw a retirement party to remember on Sunday, Aug. 7, with family, friends, co-workers and neighbours all coming out to celebrate with her and contributing to the pig roast and potluck. Her sons Steven and Dave entertained the crowd afterwards with their band Erebus and Terror from the balcony of her home.

When Whittaker was growing up in Toronto her early aspirations were to become a nurse in a Third World country, and in pursuit of that dream she took an international nursing program at Seneca College. After completing the program she decided in July, 1976, to come North for a year to get some experience, but ended up staying for the next 35 years.

Moving from Hay River to Kugluktuk, formally called Coppermine, Whittaker took on her most challenging and rewarding work as a community health nurse.

"I was working up in the communities where there are no doctors and literally saving people's lives and not just saving people's lives, but developing those relationships that went on from childhood to teenage years to adulthood. People I knew when they were teenagers are now grandmothers and grandfathers. I saw families through a lot of tragedy and I saw families through good times, like delivering babies. That is my most prideful part of being a nurse," said Whittaker.

Whittaker's three kids, David, Steven and Thomas, grew up alongside her friends, Glen and Bella Ekhiohina's four daughters, and they have now been friends for 30 years. The Ekhiohinas drove up from Hay River to be at Anne's retirement party and talk about what her dedication to being a nurse in a remote location like Kugluktuk meant to the community.

"Anne was one of the two nurses who stayed for years and years that I know of. It makes a world of difference when a nurse like Anne stays. It's my feeling that the nurse gets to know each patient personally and understands what they are going through," said Glen.

In 1998 Whittaker moved to Yellowknife and has held various jobs in the nursing profession with the GNWT until her recent retirement. For seven years she worked with co-workers Ruth MacNaughton and Julie Purcell as a psychiatric nurse at Stanton Territorial Hospital. They said Whittaker was both caring and genuine and wished her well in her retirement.

"She has put her time in and she worked hard to raise her boys. It's time to play," said MacNaughton.

Whittaker addressed friends and family with crowd- pleasing words from the balcony.

"We are moving to Fredericton and the boys are staying here so if you see them hungry, please feed them," said Whittaker, reining in laughs from the crowd.

Whittaker admits it will be hard to leave because she and her husband know a lot of people, but that it is time to try something different. Whittaker said in Fredericton she will be spending a lot more time with her husband Michael Wilcox's family, but she sees herself coming back to visit with her sons and friends in the future.

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