The Katie's Cottage respite home project has garnered designer and builder Grandeur Housing an award of excellence from the Modular Housing Association.

"Which is best in the nation, so it's pretty impressive," Jeff Enns, Director of Sales and Marketing at Grandeur Housing, explains.

However, he notes they accept the award in the Community Development category with humility, "we're very thankful... but there's a lot of thanks to everyone in the community who had involvement at every level."

The project was announced October 2014, in February of 2016 the cottage left the factory at Grandeur Housing. In less than two years communities from across Southern Manitoba and beyond helped raise $580,000 for the project.

Randy and Ruth Reimer of Katie Cares were also heavily involved in the design process, Enns says.

"I remember calling them up and it didn't take long and they knew we could help," he says. "They're in possession of an extraordinary building."

He notes the project and award is also a great example of the quality and versatility of modular housing.

Grandeur also took home awards in the multi-family and single-family divisions, as well as industrial/commercial division.

The respite home was built in two section at Grandeur Housing, and features eight bedrooms, a kitchen, common area, reading room and game room

The first of its kind in Southern Manitoba, the respite home is the fulfillment of a dream by a Winkler teen Kaitlyn Reimer, who founded the charity Katie Cares before passing away in 2012. Kaitlyn envisioned a place where her family could stay while she received treatment