Prior to its annual meeting Monday night, the Boundary Trails Health Centre (BTHC) Foundation provided the first payment of its $10 million pledge to Southern Health-Santé Sud for the Boundary Trails expansion project. That first payment was in the amount of $2.5 million.

"Today we were really excited, and it was our pleasure, to finally put some of the community donations to work," shared Foundation Chair Ben Friesen. "You've worked for it, you know the support is there, you know the cause is good. We, as the Board of Directors, we're all in it for a volunteer basis. We all want to do this for the betterment of our community, for the healthcare for not only our own families, but for everybody's family in the community, and for the regional growth of this area of Southern Manitoba."

Work is well underway on the multi-year project at the hospital site at the junction of Highways 3 and 14 between Morden and Winkler. Both the new Community Services building and in-patient unit are expected to be ready for patient care by early 2026. Once those buildings come online, renovations inside the existing hospital will begin.

"Just to see the building visually, not just on design papers, it's great," said C.E.O. Jane Curtis who accepted the payment on behalf of Southern Health-Santé Sud. "It feels like we're almost there. The community is just incredible in this area. Their community mindedness is just incredible. I just can't say enough about the people who live in this area, and how much they care about their community."

The cheque presentation was also a special event for Foundation Executive Director Shannon Samatte-Folkett, who has been with the group for twelve years, and essentially since the beginning of the earliest discussions regarding the need for an expansion to Boundary Trails Health Centre.

"I actually had the pleasure of writing the check, and I stumbled, I had to write a second one," said Samatte-Folkett with a chuckle. "It was not something I'm used to, so it was overwhelming. I've been here for twelve years, so I've been part of this whole thing, and it's overwhelming, but very exciting. I'm super proud of the work this Foundation has done over the years, and what's to come in the future."

The cheque presentation also included a brief tour of the construction site and update on how work is progressing.

- With files from Connie Bailey - 

people viewing a construction site