The 1972 graduating class of psychiatric nurses of Ponoka celebrated their 50 anniversary last month.
The classmates celebrated over two days at local businesses on Sept. 10 and 11.
“The event went really, really well,” said Glenna Thompson, one of the event organizers, adding a good time was had by all.
In 1930, Dr. C.A. Baragar, the superintendent at the Provincial Mental Hospital, established the first psychiatric nursing course at the centre.
The 36 men and women who were members of the 1972 Alberta Hospital graduating class would be the last group to complete the two- and four-year nursing training format.
Of the successful candidates, 27 received their diplomas in psychiatric nursing from the two-year program, while nine achieved their psychiatric/registered nursing diplomas after completing the four-year provincial training course.
Over the past 50 years many of the 1972 nursing grads raised their families in Ponoka.
The class of 1972 will now be holding reunions every two years instead of five, as the group is aging, said Thompson.
READ MORE: Reflections of Ponoka: 1972 AHP psychiatric nursing grads hold 40th reunion