Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

By Curtis Galbraith

Community

Construction officially underway on Ken Sargent House

May 30, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Construction is now officially underway on a new Grande Prairie facility that will serve as a home away from home for families of patients being treated at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.

Music, wind, and some welcome rain greeted the 90 or so people that turned out for the sod turning for Ken Sargent House.

The new, 21 suite facility for people needing a place to stay while a loved one undergoes treatment will be located southwest of the new hospital by the traffic circle.

Ken Sargent House director Dale Bond calls the sod turning “a magical moment.”

“It’s a project that’s been a very long time in the making and to see where it has been and where it’s going is so exciting and we just couldn’t be more elated.”

Bond says people will always chose being with a loved one who is sick.

“Sometimes that does mean not having a place to stay.”

“I think a lot of people mentioned how important family is and, really, that’s your priority at that time.”

Bond says the house will not only provide a place to stay, but a place to find emotional support.

She adds it took a huge community effort to bring this project about

“Definitely, it was a vision that started with the Rotary Club and in 2023, we became the operating partner, the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation did become the operating partner for the project, so, we’ll be running it and we’ll also be finishing the fund raising for the build as well.”

Bond says fund raising for about half of the $12 million cost of the build still has to be done

Construction is expected to finish late in 2026.