Some 10 years after the idea came to light, ground has been broken on Ken Sargent House.
The 21-suite residence just south of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital will help bring families and patients at the hospital a place to stay close by without the worry of a roof over their heads during an already stressful time.
Ken Sargent Foundation Executive Director Dale Bond says the relief they hope to offer up through the Ken Sargent House will be felt for generations to come.
“The house will be used for families who have a loved one in the hospital. This will not only release some of the financial stress for families, but will also help the emotional aspect of having a loved in the hospital,” Bond says.
The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation, who is in charge of fundraising for the house, has received among other major donations, $4 million from the Rotary Wellness Centre Society to support the construction, as well as the plot of land the house will sit on, which was donated by Northwestern Polytechic.
Officials says a lot of the success of the initiative has been largely due to the longstanding support of Ken Sargent, who, in November 2023, committed a significant gift to support the future operating costs of the facility, to ensure the house can sustain its services for many years to come.
Bond says while they’re all chomping at the bit to see construction get underway and completed, in the end, the wait will be more than worth it.
“We know patients heal better when they are surrounded by loved ones,” she adds.
The house is expected to take just over a year to build, and is expected to open in early winter 2026.
