It is being called one of the largest donations made by any organization in the history of the community. Powell River Health-Care Auxiliary has pledged more than $877,000 for much-needed equipment for Willingdon Creek Village, the new complex care facility that is being built to replace the aging Olive Devaud Residence.
“This donation represents thousands of hours of work by so many of our members over the years,” said Lorraine Hansen, president of the auxiliary. “This large donation is an accurate representation of the commitment that our 230-plus auxiliary members bring to health care in the community. It also validates all of the work we’ve managed to do over the past 67 years.”
Willingdon Creek Village complex care replacement facility project is currently in the design phase and will open to residents in spring 2015. With the Powell River Regional Hospital District (PRRHD) having almost finished paying for Powell River General Hospital after 20 years, Colin Palmer, PRRHD board chair, said the board agreed to fund this project. The $23.5-million project is a public partnership between PRRHD and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) that will result in a new 102-bed facility which will be owned by PRRHD and built on its land, adjacent to the hospital. VCH will operate the facility though a lease agreement with PRRHD.
Palmer, who is also chair of the project committee to build the facility, was floored by the news of the donation. “It’s absolutely wonderful, it’s unbelievable,” said Palmer.
VCH approached the auxiliary board and requested $250,000 to be put toward purchasing equipment for the new facility, and the members voted to pledge $877,000.
The request for money did not come as a surprise to the auxiliary board. “We’ve always known this was coming up, and we had the money, so we decided to give them the whole works,” said Hansen. The board also voted to pledge $342,000 for equipment for the hospital and Evergreen Extended Care Unit. “That night we voted on over a million dollars,” she added.
Wendy Hansson, chief operating officer of VCH, welcomed the auxiliary’s funding commitments and acknowledged the strength of VCH’s partners in Powell River.
“For the Powell River Health-Care Auxiliary to make a donation like this is remarkable,” she said. “The significant support we’ve received from the auxiliary is indicative of the strength of our partners and the type of community Powell River is.”
The money is being returned to the community in a different form, said Hansen. “It’s really important to thank the people of Powell River for their donations and their purchases. It’s a big circle.”
The auxiliary operates the Powell River Health-Care Auxiliary Economy Shop, a thrift store run by volunteers which helps generate income from community donations of local household items and clothing.
“We have over a hundred volunteers a week working in there,” said Hansen. “Some people work four hours a week and some work two days a week, it depends on how much time they want to give. They are all devoted and devout.”
The auxiliary is mandated to help the hospital and other health-care related organizations in the community by donating money for the purchase of equipment for patient care and comfort.
The $877,000 donation will be used for a wide variety of equipment including:
Dining room: tables, chairs, fridge and microwave.
Lounge / living room: TVs, chairs, tables, lamps.
Resident bedroom: wardrobe, cupboards, other furniture and window coverings.
Food service: food preparation equipment, appliances, dishes.
Bathing area: bath tub, shower curtain and track, eyewash stations.
Miscellaneous: parallel bars, recumbent steppers, bedpan disinfectors, commodes.
Palmer said that there was need for the new equipment but the project board was having some difficulty finding the money, so the auxiliary board’s decision has impressed him.
“That’s the kind of organization they are,” he said. “People in the region should know that this is where their money goes when they shop there.”
Board names complex care facility
Elected officials have chosen Willingdon Creek Village as the name of the new complex care facility that is replacing Olive Devaud Residence.
Powell River Regional Hospital District directors decided on the name at a special board meeting held on Thursday afternoon, November 15, after they passed a motion to waive notice of the meeting.
Colin Palmer, board chair, explained the process that had gone into choosing the name. He had established a naming committee that included representatives from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the medical community, as well as Director Maggie Hathaway, the City of Powell River’s representative on the board. The committee came up with five names, which they submitted to a wider circle of health care staff, as well as the Olive Devaud residents’ committee and their families.
There were some restrictions on choosing the name, Palmer explained, including not being allowed to use Olive Devaud, because Powell River Sunset Homes Society, which owns the building, wants to retain it.
The feedback the naming committee received indicated Willingdon Creek was appropriate, because it was near by, Palmer said. “Particularly, the people who are residents, families and staff at Olive Devaud, seemed to think Willingdon Creek was a no-brainer, because it was quite close,” he said.
The proposed $23.5 million facility will be constructed on the grounds of Powell River General Hospital. It will have six houses, each containing 17 single-occupant rooms.
Palmer pointed out there are six other opportunities for names. “We thought we could talk to Sliammon [Tla’amin First Nation] about one of the houses having a first nation’s name,” he said. “We’ve already had some people in the Italian community suggesting names.”
The regional hospital district is financing the project and will own the facility, which is the reason why the board had the authority to choose the name. VCH will lease and operate the facility.
Myrna Leishman, a City of Powell River councillor, is the president of Sunset Homes. “Olive Devaud still belongs to us, so we’re not going to let the name move somewhere else,” she said. “Olive Devaud will always stay Olive Devaud, even though we haven’t yet decided just how we’re going to run it or who is going to run it.”
Olive Devaud, who was a nurse and philanthropist in Powell River, gave all the property to the society, Leishman pointed out. “I think it should stay there,” she said. “That’s where her heart was.”
The society will take over the building as soon as Willingdon Creek Village is up and running, Leishman said. “We are now in the process of trying to decide just how we’re going to deal with it,” she said.
In 1928, Lord Willingdon was the Governor General of Canada. Willingdon Beach Park was named after him, and he came for the official opening.
Board names complex care facility
Elected officials have chosen Willingdon Creek Village as the name of the new complex care facility that is replacing Olive Devaud Residence.
Powell River Regional Hospital District directors decided on the name at a special board meeting held on Thursday afternoon, November 15, after they passed a motion to waive notice of the meeting.
Colin Palmer, board chair, explained the process that had gone into choosing the name. He had established a naming committee that included representatives from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the medical community, as well as Director Maggie Hathaway, the City of Powell River’s representative on the board. The committee came up with five names, which they submitted to a wider circle of health care staff, as well as the Olive Devaud residents’ committee and their families.
There were some restrictions on choosing the name, Palmer explained, including not being allowed to use Olive Devaud, because Powell River Sunset Homes Society, which owns the building, wants to retain it.
The feedback the naming committee received indicated Willingdon Creek was appropriate, because it was near by, Palmer said. “Particularly, the people who are residents, families and staff at Olive Devaud, seemed to think Willingdon Creek was a no-brainer, because it was quite close,” he said.
The proposed $23.46 million facility will be constructed on the grounds of Powell River General Hospital. It will have six houses, each containing 17 single-occupant rooms.
Palmer pointed out there are six other opportunities for names. “We thought we could talk to Sliammon [Tla’amin First Nation] about one of the houses having a first nation’s name,” he said. “We’ve already had some people in the Italian community suggesting names.”
The regional hospital district is financing the project and will own the facility, which is the reason why the board had the authority to choose the name. VCH will lease and operate the facility.
Myrna Leishman, a City of Powell River councillor, is the president of Sunset Homes. “Olive Devaud still belongs to us, so we’re not going to let the name move somewhere else,” she said. “Olive Devaud will always stay Olive Devaud, even though we haven’t yet decided just how we’re going to run it or who is going to run it.”
Olive Devaud, who was a nurse and philanthropist in Powell River, gave all the property to the society, Leishman pointed out. “I think it should stay there,” she said. “That’s where her heart was.”
The society will take over the building as soon as Willingdon Creek Village is up and running, Leishman said. “We are now in the process of trying to decide just how we’re going to deal with it,” she said.
In 1928, Lord Willingdon was the Governor General of Canada. The park was named after him, and he came for the official opening.
