A project that began because of a loss became a welcome reality when supporters and family members officially broke ground on the new Rose Garden Hospice Friday morning.
The project began 14 years ago after Rose Daschuk passed away after a short bout with cancer. It finally entered the construction phase with a on-site ground breaking on Friday.
Rose’s husband Don Daschuk and daughter Marina Mitchell were pleased to see the shovels in the ground.
“This is very emotional,” Don said. “We are so happy that we can finally get this thing going. This is huge.”
“We are overwhelmed with excitement with joy right now,” Mitchell added. “It is just very overwhelming. We are very excited. It is literally a dream come true.”
When fundraising began, there were no hospices in the province. This project led the way, though two other hospices have since opened in Saskatchewan.
The facility is named for Rose Daschuk. Her passing showed the family just how important it was to have a facility where people could receive patient-centred end-of-life care in a home-like environment that meets their physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs of the client, their family and their friends.
“We had to have a change of thinking in this province,” Don said. “We went through the dying process with my wife, I didn’t even know what a hospice was and in the beginning I talked to people about the hospice and they didn’t have any idea.”
“I thought we would have this, everybody would see what this could do, (and) we would be built and running in two years,” he added. “It’s been 13. The two milestones are the gift of the land and then the provincial government funding us.”
The land was donated by the late Fred Trach, and the province announced in 2019 that they would provide operating funds for the hospice. Fundraising events and community donations have also paid a large part, and the family members have supported each other during the process.
“We have been discouraged many times and disappointed but you know what? We weren’t all discouraged at the same time, so it was good,” Don said.
“It has been a long time coming, and a lot of hard work,” Mitchell added. “We have persevered and there is a lot of work to go, but we are going to start construction and move forward. We have $1.1. million left to raise out of the $4 million, so we are well on our way we are almost there.”
Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave has long been an advocate at the provincial level for the Rose Garden Hospice and pushed it while he was in cabinet.
“It’s been a long-time passion project for me and I was glad to help out the board because of my family and my experience with them in B.C. in Prince George. So when they approached me on it I was already sold, it is just the right thing to do,” Hargrave said.
“There are certain things that you have to push for and just get people to understand and that was what I had to do,” Hargrave said.
Don said that he made an appointment with Hargrave as soon as he was elected and learned that Hargrave was already on board with the project.
Construction of the 10-bed facility was originally supposed to begin last spring, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought fundraising to a near halt. The Hospice Foundation has since found ways to continue fundraising, and a year later, can finally start construction.
The committee had the building redesigned, taking out the basement and simplifying the design to make it simpler and cheaper to build. Contractors have come forward to offer better rates and donations of material for the project and Daschuk acknowledged the local contractors who have come forward in his speech.
“I’m really proud of the contractors stepping up, it was just huge,” Daschuk said.
Hargrave also acknowledged the last fundraising step and the support of the community.
“It takes time,” he said. “We are still not done. There is still more fundraising to do, but we are going to start construction and I think more fundraising, some donations will come in.”
In his speech, Dionne told a story about the donation of the Rotary Trail land by Trach before he donated the land where the hospice will sit. The project is a three-way partnership between the community, the City and the province. The property will be also be tax exempt from the city.
The board has also seen many people come and go for various reasons and they were not forgotten.
“We have had people come and go from the board too for a number of reasons, that had to resign and move away and things like that but everybody had contributed in some way,” Daschuk said.
There was a large turnout of people for the groundbreaking including Prince Albert Member of Parliament Randy Hoback, Prince Albert Northcote MLA Alanna Ross, friends, family and others.
“The turnout today was unreal and it exceeded my expectations with the support so it’s wonderful,” Mitchell said.
The Emcee for the event was Ralph Boychuk, speakers included board chair Cheryl Elliot, Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne, Andrew McLetchie, the vice-president of integrated northern health at the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Hargrave, Mitchell and Daschuk.
Dozens have donated, big and small, including local business owner Malcolm Jenkins, who pledged $500,000 to the cause. Jenkins was away on business in Saskatoon and could not attend the event.
“I know we are missing Malcolm that’s for sure. He tried but he couldn’t change his appointment,” Mitchell said.
“It just means the world to us that we have all of this support from our community and our surrounding (area). It’s wonderful to see people come and donate and just be a part of this,” she added.
editorial@paherald.sk.ca
