Marina Mitchell (centre) speaks to the assembled crowd Tuesday morning at the unveiling of the Rose Garden Hospice in Prince Albert. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nolan Kowal

New hospice for Prince Albert

‘It’s been a long journey’: Community pulls back curtain on new hospice

Aug 29, 2023 | 1:32 PM

A long-term Prince Albert community project came to fruition Tuesday morning as the Rose Garden Hospice officially opened.

The project had been in the works for roughly 15 years and is the first of its kind in the city.

“It felt amazing,” said Marina Mitchell, a committee member who was involved in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It was just a feeling that I had actually never felt before.”

“I just felt all the love that was here. The love in the building, the people, it’s just amazing.”

Mitchell had been involved in the project since day one and she said it was a total community effort to make it happen.

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It was “100 per cent built by the community, supported by the community. The community has done everything…it’s just been wonderful,” Mitchell said.

The hospice was named in honour of Mitchell’s mother Rose.

“My mom was bigger than life. Talk to anybody that knew her, she lit up a room and she was amazing,” Mitchell said. “She was so welcoming and loving with her personality, and that’s what this place is…it’s just loving and welcoming and I know she’s proud of everyone who has had a hand in helping build this.”

The new hospice includes 10 beds along with lounge areas, a kitchen, bathrooms, and a deck in the back yard. The project cost over $4 million with the bulk of the money coming from community fundraisers.

Malcolm Jenkins was a major contributor to the project. He admitted the building took longer than he initially anticipated.

“I thought to myself it’s just a small project, this will take maybe a year or two years, and here we are 15 years later,” Jenkins said. “So it wasn’t quite as simple as I thought it looked, so it’s been a long journey and I’m very, very gratified to see it happen.”

“It’s a great thing; it’s the finest in the province. We’ll have people beating a path to our door from all the other cities once they see this. They’ll all want to do this.”

The Rose Garden Hospice is located in the southwest corner of the city.

A number of dignitaries were on hand for Tuesday’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting including Mayor Greg Dionne, MLA’s Alana Ross and Nadine Wilson, MP Randy Hoback, MNS Region II Director Sherry McClennan and a number of people who have donated to the project. Over 200 people attended the unveiling.

In the coming weeks, a wall honouring the donors will be set up inside the facility. Staff orientation begins Sept. 8, while the first guests are expected to arrive on Sept. 18.

Fran Hargrave speaks on behalf of her husband, MLA Joe Hargrave. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

(Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)