Community hospice targets late 2027 opening

Andrea Binkle, executive director, Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice. 

Luke Edwards

Grant Haven Media

While staff, supporters and the community will have to wait another two-plus years for the opening of the Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice, those in need will continue receiving the help they require.

Andrea Binkle, the executive director for the organization, gave Norfolk councillors an update on the project to build a new community hospice on donated land in Jarvis that will serve both municipalities for years to come. 

She said they’re targeting a late 2027 or early 2028 opening for the $14 million project.

“We really tried to make sure the building was very modest and fit the landscape both for Norfolk and Haldimand County,” Binkle said.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has approved four beds to start, but with an eye to the future, Binkle said they’re building a hospice with capacity for 10 beds. And with a large parcel of land that was donated by Alan Williamson - in honour of his father Drew Williamson, who co-founded Doughty and Williamson - Binkle said they’ll have room to grow.

While they’re eagerly looking ahead to the new building being opened, Binkle told councillors the organization will continue to serve the community in the meantime. They offer a variety of programs for people facing life limiting illnesses along with their loved ones. Their programs supported around 400 individuals last year, and Binkle said they are there for anyone from children to older seniors.

More information on their programs can be found at norfolkhaldimandhospice.ca.

The new build will include private beds with their own bathrooms, along with a large living room and a big porch out front. For Binkle, though, she’s excited about the kitchen, a big space that will give visitors a sense of home.

“I want the kitchen to be the heart of the home, right in the middle so that when people come in they can smell the cookies being baked or the apple crisp,” she said.

Capital funding for the project relies largely on community support, with the province committing $250,000 per bed, or $1 million in the case of the Norfolk Haldimand project, that comes with some stipulations. Binkle came to council with a request to commit to five per cent of its financial goal over three years. Due to the county’s rules, it’s a request that will have to be dealt with later.