The E & I Krahn Heliport is now in operation.

Boundary Trails Health Centre is only the third hospital in Manitoba to open a helicopter landing facility.

"The life-saving legacy of this heliport will make a lasting difference," says Jane Curtis, CEO of Southern Health-Sante Sud.

The project was made possible by the legacy donation by the Krahn family in memory of husband and father Ed Krahn. The family completely funded the $350,000 project.

BTHC Foundation Chair Grant Thiessen explains they were prepared to raise funds for a portion of the total cost only to learn the family was covering the entire bill.

"It's come together quite quickly," Thiessen says. "To have this added to our health facility will benefit people for many years to come."

The heliport acts as a permanent, well-lit landing zone for helicopters like STARS Air Ambulance. In the past, crews had to land in a grassy area beside the facility and then transfer the critically ill or injured patient to an ambulance before they could be admitted to the hospital.

This year alone, STARS has been dispatched for 30 inter-facility transfers from BTHC.

"When a person is in medical distress, minutes count and the ability to access timely emergency care can often make the difference between life and death," Morden-Winkler MLA Cameron Friesen says.