SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The name Barb Bromley evokes an image of the quintessential Yellowknifer: industrious, community-minded and humble with a penchant for adventure and a love of the outdoors.

Barb Bromley, at right, with Esther Braden show off Pocket Talkers purchased by the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority to help persons with hearing difficulties communicate with doctors and other service professionals. Bromley died peacefully at Stanton Territorial Hospital on Feb. 15 at age 88. -

Sadly, the pioneering health-care practitioner, seniors advocate and consummate volunteer died peacefully at Stanton Territorial Hospital on Sunday at the age of 88, 10 days short of her 89th birthday.

"There will be a big hole in the community," said Barb's son, Bob Bromley, MLA for Weledeh.

"She was a giant in every respect except in her physical stature."

The impact Bromley had on everyone who was fortunate enough to meet her is hard to understate. She was a caregiver, an activist, a businesswoman, a mentor and friend to many. Over the years, she was involved in spearheading countless charitable organizations and community events; in addition to her instrumental role in improving healthcare for Northerners through her tireless career as a nurse and in her subsequent push for adequate seniors facilities in Yellowknife.

"The old saying is 'It takes a village to raise a child,'" said Robert Collinson, who had Bromley as both his Sunday school teacher and Cub Scouts leader when he was growing up.

"In Mrs. Bromley's case, 'It sometimes takes an individual to make a community.'"

"Every time the community loses such a flame, with such passion, that's hard to replace," added Jeff Renaud, CEO of Avens, the seniors' housing centre that

Bromley helped found.

"There's not too many Barb Bromleys in this world and they don't come around too often."

Bromley came to Yellowknife as a 22-year-old woman with her fiance Peter Bromley in 1948. The two were married just two weeks after landing in Yellowknife. Shortly after, the recent nursing college graduate started working part time at the Red Cross Hospital as a public health nurse.

Bromley would make significant contributions to the local medical community over the years. When the federal government opened its first public health centre in 1963, Bromley became the head nurse. In 1969, she led the drive to form an official Registered Nurses' Association to standardize nursing in the territories and ensure patients received quality care. She was also instrumental in opening a "well baby" clinic to help Yellowknife's new mothers and their newborn babies.

Bromley's career as a nurse was temporarily put on hold in order to run the family hardware business after her husband's sudden death in 1967.

"She had to really put her nursing career on hold for a bit and turn into a business person," said Bob Bromley. "(She) managed to successfully do that while raising four teenagers."

Upon her return to the medical profession in 1975 she wasted no time in getting NWT Commissioner Stuart Hodgson to pass an ordinance ensuring all nurses followed a certified standard.

In the late 1980s a semi-retired Bromley turned her attention to providing care for seniors. Of all her achievements, perhaps the most enduring was her role in helping establish Yellowknife's first ever seniors home - Aven Manor - which opened its doors in 1987.

"She was a formidable presence and certainly a visionary," said Renaud.

In 2000, Bromley was awarded the Order of Canada for her extensive contributions to the community. She considered the award a huge honour upon receiving it.

"I was very excited to get the phone call," Bromley told Yellowknifer at the time.

"I'm also feeling very humble because there are a lot of other people who are just as deserving. Yellowknife has a tremendous component of volunteers.

"I wouldn't have been able to do all the volunteering I did without the help of my family."

On top of her work within the medical community, Peter and herself founded Yellowknife's local Cub Scouts chapter, where Bromley continuing her support of the organization as a Cub leader for 20 years after Peter's death. She was also instrumental in setting up Yellowknife's Meals On Wheels program and would often deliver food to seniors' homes herself until the work became too onerous in her later years. Bromley was even responsible for starting the now-defunct Raven Mad Daze downtown to celebrate the summer solstice. Even with all her accomplishments, Bromley was always humble and unassuming.

"She's just one of those people that really made a difference in the community," said Collinson."She left a really lasting legacy in this town."

Above all, Bromley was a people person who loved to socialize. Her annual Christmas cookie exchange, which she took over in 1964 after a friend who began it left town, was always well attended by friends and strangers from all walks of life. To this day the annual exchange is an unofficial Yellowknife institution.

Gladys Eggenberger, who attended the affair off and on over the years, remembers being invited over for coffee at Bromley's house when she first moved to Yellowknife with her husband and five children in 1961. The invite would end up sparking a longtime friendship between the two.

"She's been a good friend all these years," said Eggenberger, who would often sit beside Bromley during Sunday services at the Holy Anglican Church. "She was just always there for anybody who needed her."

For all the contributions she made to Yellowknife, Bromley also had an adventurous side and loved to travel. Over the years she attended nursing conferences all over the world, often accompanied by her close friend and colleague Jan Stirling.

One excursion in 1989 landed the pair in China as nationwide protests were unfolding in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The two women were evacuated over concerns that they were at risk due to the fighting.

"They were in a dicey situation and the tour company or whoever was organizing the trip managed to get them onto a train and get them to the coast where they jumped on a ship and left the country," said Bob Bromley. "It was quite something."

After retiring as a nurse, Bromley was able to combine her love of travelling with her love of people by opening up Yellowknife's first-ever bed and breakfast in 1984.

The eponymous Barb's Bed and Breakfast operated on Morrison Drive on Latham Island up until 2000. Even after shutting down the business, Bob said his mother maintained correspondence with hundreds of people from around the world who had stayed in touch with her over the years.

"She got hundreds and hundreds of Christmas cards and would send hundreds herself," said Bob. "She loved to stay in touch with people."

Bromley is survived by her four children: Maxine (Gerry) Avery, Bob (Marianne), Stuart (Leslie) and Chris (Cleo) Bromley; grandchildren Brad Avery, Mark (Amber) Avery, Kelty, Mitchell, Craig and Tara Bromley; and great-grandchildren Cole, Will and Declan Avery.

The public is invited to share memories and stories about Bromley during a celebration of her life at Sir John Franklin High School at 2 p.m. on Feb. 28.

"It is a bit of a loss but it's also an amazing opportunity to celebrate an amazing life," said Bob.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.