June 2, 2025
With 52 years of service, Joanne Pointer holds the record as the longest-serving employee at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. After helping unveil a mural to celebrate the hospital’s 125-year anniversary, Pointer was eager to get back to her responsibilities as a clerk in the Lois Hole Hospital for Women. Photo by Sharman Hnatiuk.
A special mural mosaic was unveiled at the opening ceremonies recognizing 125 years of caring at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. This collaborative art project incorporates hand-painted tiles by staff, volunteers, physicians, patients and community partners. Photo by Sharman Hnatiuk.
Artist Lewis Lavoie incorporated hand-painted tiles to create the mural mosaic, The Art of Caring, in recognition of the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s 125 year anniversary. The newly-installed piece has been installed at the hospital entrance. Photo by Lewis Lavoie.
Story & photos by Sharman Hnatiuk | Photo by Lewis Lavoie
EDMONTON — When the Royal Alexandra Hospital opened in central Edmonton in 1900, it was designed to accommodate just 25 patients. Now, 125 years later and with more than 850 beds, the Royal Alex has become the biggest and busiest hospital in Western Canada providing vital and valued access to healthcare services to generations of patients and families.
As the longest active employee at the Royal Alex, Joanne Pointer, an administrative clerk in the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, has myriad memories from her 52 years at the site. She started as summer relief with laundry services at just 18 years of age before joining housekeeping and eventually moving on to support the women’s health team.
One of her most memorable experiences came in 1981 when Pointer’s mother was an inpatient the day a twin engine plane crashed into an unoccupied floor of the hospital.
“I wasn’t scheduled to work, but I managed to get on property and check in with my manager. She told me to go check in on my mom, and then come help where I could,” says Pointer. “Our patients are always the first priority, but it’s incredible to belong somewhere where the people you work with begin to feel like and look after each other like family.”
As the site recognizes 125 years of caring, it’s easy to see how stories at the hospital weave through the lives of individuals across the city and the province.
“When I tell someone I meet outside of work that I’m an Emergency Department physician at the Royal Alex, the response is often that they or a loved one was born here, they know someone who works or worked here, or about how a loved one received care here,” says Dr. Colin Peterson, facility medical director.
“It feels like everyone has a connection to this hospital. It’s been wonderful to share in the memories and the sense of shared pride as the Royal Alex celebrates 125 years of caring in Edmonton.”
To help mark the historic milestone, Pointer was invited to help unveil a commemorative mural, The Art of Caring, that incorporates tiles hand-painted by staff, physicians, midwives, patients, volunteers and community partners.
“I was so excited when I found the tile our team painted,” adds Pointer. “It’s such a heartwarming image of the Royal Alex. I absolutely love it.”
In honour of the 125th anniversary, the site also received formal recognition from His Majesty King Charles III. Additional celebrations included the lighting of the High Level bridge, a gallery showcasing programs and services on site, and the collection of items for a time capsule.
The Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation is also marking the 125th anniversary with a 400-page book called The Alex 125, commissioned by local historian Carolina Jakeway Roemmich. The book is available online and for sale onsite in the Royal Alexandra Hospital Women’s Auxiliary gift shops.
