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.
