Milestone reached as Saugeen Hospice celebrates groundbreaking in Walkerton

‘A legacy that belongs to the region’: Saugeen Hospice targets summer 2028 opening.

Article content Mary Kay MacKenzie called the Saugeen Hospice a legacy for the region. Speaking to dozens of spectators at a ceremonial groundbreaking in Walkerton on Wednesday, MacKenzie pictured a future in which people drive past the newly constructed hospice and remark on the beautiful building. Recommended Videos “They may not know the countless hours,” MacKenzie said.

“All of us gathered here will know.” Wednesday’s groundbreaking marked a milestone in the years-long journey of bringing a compassionate end-of-life option to Walkerton and the surrounding area. Political leaders, social clubs, volunteers, donors, healthcare professionals, union workers and those who’ve worked behind the scenes for years attended the event at 108 Eastridge Rd., the future site of the six-bed facility.

Over $8 million has been secured in donations and pledges for the hospice, with a fundraising goal of $10 million. Construction is expected to begin in September by J.P. Commercial Contractors of Shallow Lake, who were awarded the job in June. Carol Kraft, chair of the Saugeen Hospice board of directors, thanked several people who helped turn a compassionate dream into reality on Wednesday.

It’s a project that has been in the works for years, and picked up steam in 2019 when Brockton donated a 3.5-acre piece of land in Walkerton at the southwest corner of the East Ridge Business Park near the Bruce Power soccer fields and two new residential buildings. “Today we celebrate how far we’ve come, and we also recognize there is still work ahead. With today’s groundbreaking, we are proud to officially launch the public phase of our capital campaign,” Kraft said.

“Many people have already helped make this possible. Today we invite everyone who believes in this vision to help us carry this forward.” Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson said she has seen the hospice move from coffee talks to site plans while at Queen’s Park.

“I remember the early days. I remember the conversations. I remember the frustrations, but I remember the conviction that kept people at the table,” Thompson said.

In January 2024, three years after the Saugeen Hospice group officially incorporated and two years after receiving charitable status, the Ontario government announced it was providing $1.5 million to the Saugeen Hospice. The funding includes a $225,000 planning grant and, upon further approval, $1.275 million in implementation funding for the facility. Thompson was joined at the ceremony by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers, Mayor of Brockton Chris Peabody, Bruce County Warden Luke Charbonneau, Kincardine Mayor Kenneth Craig, Hanover Mayor Sue Paterson, and South Bruce Mayor Mark Goetz.

Peabody said he stumped so often for the hospice in Walkerton while lobbying at Queen’s Park that, one year, when he didn’t bring up the hospice, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones asked him about the status of the project. Once operational, the Saugeen Hospice will provide compassionate end-of-life care at no cost and serve the areas of South Bruce, southern Arran-Elderslie, Brockton, West Grey, Hanover, Township of Southgate, Wellington North, Town of Minto, North Huron, and the Township of Huron-Kinloss. In a rather poignant moment on Wednesday, guest speaker Connor Schnurr spoke about the experience his family went through as their father received care at Chapman House hospice in Owen Sound.

“He received phenomenal care and comfort that he needed in the final days of his life. We, as a family, were very well cared for. The entire staff were extremely friendly and went out of their way to ensure all of us were looked after,” Schnurr said.

He also talked about the difficulty of having to travel an hour to Owen Sound in the winter to visit his dad, the expense of hotel stays and meals out, and not knowing, when making the long return home, whether that’s going to be the last time they’ll see a loved one. “Thanks to the generosity of the people here, and everyone involved, we finally will get a hospice in our area,” Schnurr said. “You’re not just doing it for families like mine, but for your friends, your neighbours, and one day, maybe even a loved one.”

Once constructed, the 13,692 sq. ft. building, designed by G.M. Diemert Architect Inc., the same firm that designed the Chapman House hospice in Owen Sound, will operate six beds, with a seventh rotating bed to improve efficiency. Next, Saugeen Hospice Inc. will secure final approvals, land transfers, permits and construction contracts, and, over the next two years, complete construction of the building and prepare for operation. Saugeen Hospice Inc. hopes to open the Saugeen Hospice to residents and their families in the summer of 2028.

For more information, visit www.saugeenhospice.ca.