The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Close to 40 staff, patients, dignitaries, and citizens of Snow Lake were on hand Friday to witness the grand opening of the new Personal Care Home (PCH) beds at the community's Health Center. NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority CEO Drew Lockhart, the emcee for the ceremony, was quick to place credit for the project in the hands of the local District Health Council (DHC). He mentioned all members of the council individually, but singled out the former chairperson, Alan Beilman with the majority of his praise. "Alan was always very vocal in putting forth the community's needs," said Lockhart. "And he always got his point across with a certain grace and respect." Lockhart also commended Sue Crockett, the NRHA's executive director of planning, research and development. "She pressed the provincial government on this program," he said. "It was her tenacity that pushed the project through to fruition." Before introducing him, Lockhart took time to mention MLA, Gerard Jennissen's sizable part in the project. See 'Older' P.# Con't from P.# "He was the guy jumping up and down in Winnipeg and doing all of the work behind the scenes," said the CEO. Jennissen was in attendance representing Minister of Health Dave Chomiak and read a prepared statement from Chomiak before adding some comments of his own. The MLA singled out Beilman and the DHC's resolve in moving the project forward and spoke of the older Snow Lake citizens and their families who will benefit from the new beds. Lockhart next called the town's Mayor, Garry Zamzow, to the microphone. Zamzow heaped praise on the work done by DHC members in addition to recalling the contributions of former Hospital Board members such as Gunner Johansson and Boyd Molder. NRHA Board Chairperson Linda Lautamus brought greetings on behalf of the board while echoing the sentiments of those who spoke before her. After Lautamus left the microphone, the man much of the afternoon's praise was centered upon was asked to say a few words. In a modest and eloquent manner, Beilman stated that it was satisfying to experience the realization of a dream. He gave those in attendance some background on what was involved in bringing the project from the early days of being recognized and culled from a community health needs assessment survey, to the disappointments of having the project moved to the back burner on several occasions. Beilman shifted much of the credit for pushing the project through to his fellow DHC members. He also thanked Sue Crockett for being the person who persevered with the project and really pushed the province for its completion. Beilman ended by drawing laughter from the crowd in stating, "There is a Phase II to this project, right?" He added: "Hopefully, those on the DHC will continue to move on that." Speeches and introductions out of the way, Lockhart asked Beilman and Jennissen to hold the ribbon and called on the two daughters of the facility's longest resident to cut it. Lynda Pronger and Shirley Payne cut the ribbon as their mother Marg Payne watched. At present there are four residents in the PCH beds at the Snow Lake Health Center. Marg Payne and Lona Evans are residents of the new addition. Andy Chudy and Hilda Stoltz reside in the rooms housing the existing beds. At a cost of approximately $350,000, construction on the addition that houses the new beds began in October of 2003 and was completed in the spring of 2004.9/27/2004
