Vacant land southwest of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital will be the location for the new Ken Sargent House. Photo by Curtis Galbraith. 

By Curtis Galbraith

Community

Rotary clubs, hospital foundation working on new Ken Sargent Hosue project

Mar 18, 2024 | 6:00 AM

Grande Prairie’s Rotary clubs and the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation are working on building a place for families to stay while a loved one is being treated at the hospital.

It would be located on an acre of currently vacant land southwest of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital that belongs to Northwestern Polytechnic.

Bernd Manz is president of the Grande Prairie Rotary Clubs Wellness Centre Society.

He says this group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the hospital foundation.

“For the society to build the house and then for the foundation to operate it.”

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“The foundation received a $2 million gift from Ken Sargent and so the name of the facility will now be the Ken Sargent House.”

This money will be used for operational expenses.

Manz says the house will give families a home-like atmosphere to stay in.

“We’re planning a 20 suite house that will feel like home and be as close to the hospital as we can get.

Manz says the Rotary clubs have donated another $2 million towards the estimated construction cost of $10 million. An architect has been hired to do some conceptual designs.

He adds the next step in the project is more fund raising.

“We need to move into detailed design, hire contractors and all those kinds of things, which will really be dependant on our fundraising activities and having the funds committed before we can start construction.”

Manz says the hope is the house will be open by the end of 2026

He adds the organizers will be out in the community and actively fundraising later in the spring.