Accomplished Kamloops health-care professional earns Freedom of the City award

A Kamloops resident is being recognized with the city's highest municipal honour after a lifetime of living and serving the community.

Stella Black will receive the distinguished Freedom of the City award from Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian and council in a ceremony tomorrow night, April 20, according to a City of Kamloops media release. 

The award, symbolically known as the Key to the City, provides the recipient with certain privileges and is the highest honour the city can bestow. 

Black has supported some of our largest and most significant institutions through monumental changes and improvement, selflessly giving of her talents to benefit the health and vitality of our community and beyond, the city said.

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Born and raised in Kamloops, Black’s nursing career flourished at Royal Inland Hospital, where she progressed from staff nurse to clinical head nurse, supervisor, associate director of nursing, director of nursing, director of acute care services for the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap Health Service Area, and ultimately executive director of Acute Care at Royal Inland Hospital.

Throughout her service in healthcare, Black served on committees at several post-secondary institutions to support and develop quality education in healthcare, and helped develop the curriculum for the Open Learning Agency’s Bachelor of Health Science Degree, the city said.

Black spent many years serving on the B.C. Cancer Agency board of directors, and during this time was involved in publications that were instrumental in forming breast cancer early detection and self-examination programs.

She served as an advisory member for the Southern Interior Cancer Clinic in Kelowna and the Funding Task Force Committee for community oncology clinics.

Black served on Thompson Rivers University’s board of governors for 10 years, starting when the institution was a college. She participated in the process to change the college’s status to university college and then to the university it is now. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree for her service.

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Black found time to be involved in several community organizations, and took on many volunteering opportunities.

She truly exemplifies the spirit of service with her dedication to health, education, culture and local community, the city said.

Freedom of the City is awarded infrequently, most recently in 2019, and only with the unanimous support of mayor and council. Since 1949, only 27 individuals and six entities have been recognized with this esteemed distinction.

The ceremony tomorrow will also recognize five Exemplary Service Award recipients.

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