The Jamaican Canadian community is remembering Pamela “Pam” Powell, a founding member of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) and longtime Toronto nurse, who died on October 1, 2026, at age 92.
Powell’s life combined professional service in health care with more than six decades of dedication to the JCA. Her work helped sustain community institutions and initiatives supporting women in the Jamaican Canadian diaspora.
From Jamaica to a nursing career in Canada
Powell was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1934 and attended school in St Elizabeth and Kingston. She travelled to England as a teenager to pursue nursing, later working in Jamaica and the United States before moving to Canada in 1961.
At Toronto Western Hospital, she advanced through several nursing and patient-care leadership roles over more than three decades. Her positions included assistant head nurse, head nurse, nurse manager and patient-care coordinator. She retired in 1995.
Decades of service with the Jamaican Canadian Association
Alongside her professional career, Powell remained involved with the Jamaican Canadian Association for 64 years. She served in different leadership capacities and contributed to the JCA Women’s Committee, whose work has supported the participation and advocacy of women within the community.
In a tribute reported by the Jamaica Gleaner, the association’s first president, Roy Williams, recalled Powell as an active contributor to the organization. Camille Hannays-King, writing on behalf of the Women’s Committee, similarly remembered her commitment, humility and steadfast support.
These recollections underline a legacy shaped not only by public leadership but also by the less visible work of building and maintaining community relationships over time.
Funeral and community remembrance
According to the Gleaner, Powell’s funeral was scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at St Theodore of Canterbury Anglican Church in North York, followed by interment and a reception. The JCA and its Women’s Committee also intend to hold a separate memorial in the coming weeks; details have not yet been announced.
Powell’s story reflects the lasting contribution of Jamaicans who helped strengthen community life in Toronto through health care, cultural connection and service to others.
Madd A Road Media extends condolences to Pamela Powell’s family, friends, colleagues and the wider Jamaican Canadian community.
Reporting basis: Neil Armstrong, Jamaica Gleaner, October 16, 2026: https://web5.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20261016/foundation-member-jamaican-canadian-association-remembered-community-builder
