NONIA - Newfoundland Outport Nurses and Industrial Association

The Newfoundland Outport Nursing and Industrial Association (NONIA) was officially formed in 1924 to provide nursing services to rural outport communities in Newfoundland. It grew out of the earlier Outport Nursing Scheme created in 1920 by community leaders who wanted to improve medical care in isolated areas. Nurses were funded through public donations and the sale of knitted and woven goods made by local women. By 1925, hundreds of workers in dozens of communities were producing crafts to support the program. In 1934 the Newfoundland government took over the nursing services, while NONIA continued its industrial work promoting and selling local crafts. Over time it expanded, merged with other craft groups, and today remains a non-profit organization that supports knitters and weavers in Newfoundland and Labrador.