The St. Marys Healthcare Foundation – a legacy of supporting access to quality local health care

The St. Marys Memorial Hospital, located on Queen Street West and opened in 1950, has had many upgrades and changes over the years and continues to give wonderful care to the residents of the Town of St. Marys and surrounding areas.

By Wendy Lamond

From the day the first piece of sod was turned on April 12, 1949, to its official opening on Nov. 2,1950, to current day operations, the community of St. Marys has been a strong force in supporting our local hospital.

That support is because the people in this town know how lucky we are to have such an amazing hospital with incredible staff. This goes back to the early days of raising money for construction and fighting to keep the hospital from closing in 1996 with letters of protests and rallies supporting campaigns for upgrades, renovations and equipment.

A hospital is one of the many deciding factors that is taken into consideration when folks are looking for somewhere to settle down, and having a place to go that is close when needed is not something to be taken for granted.

“The story of St. Marys Memorial Hospital is really the story of this community,” chair of the St. Marys Healthcare Foundation Amanda McCurdy said. “For decades, residents have come together to protect, strengthen and invest in local health care – from the earliest days of fundraising to moments when the hospital’s future was uncertain, and through to the improvements we see today. The foundation exists because this community believes in having excellent care close to home, and that collective commitment continues to drive everything we do for the hospital and the wellness centre, now and into the future.”

Many see the pictures in the paper of board members receiving cheques from various groups and events, but what exactly does the St. Marys Healthcare Foundation do? It is a group of volunteers that strongly believe in our hospital and community with a mission to inspire locals to invest in health care.

In 1992, the St. Marys Memorial Hospital Foundation was created and has been instrumental in raising funds for the hospital since its inception. However, in 2019, the organization was rebranded as the St. Marys Healthcare Foundation showing it is focused on community-based care that goes beyond the hospital. Its members support other local wellness initiatives as well as the Traditional Mutual Centre for Wellness, which was completed in 2003 and is one of the most visited buildings in our town.

In 2018, ground was broken on a $2.9-million, 7,433 square foot expansion of the Tradition Mutual Centre for Wellness with funds raised through The Someone I Know campaign. The addition to the original building became a model for primary care, providing the town and surrounding area access to a range of support services, including family counselling, a dietician and a pharmacist, and now houses LifeLabs, a provider of laboratory diagnostic services.

Many have volunteered their time on the health-care foundation board knowing the importance of our hospital and wellness centre. The members who join are asked to commit to three-year, six-year or nine-year terms. This keeps the board fresh on rotation. It gives them lots of time to learn but also offers stability with opportunities for new perspectives.

The current board consists of chair Amanda McCurdy, vice chair Erin Reynolds, past chair Cindy Bilyea, Brian De Groote, Mike Brine, Brandon Boyd, Wendy Lamond, Wayne Barber, Pam Zabel, Mark Kennedy, Linda McFadyen, Scott Graham and staff members including finance coordinator Nancy Johnsson and communications and fundraising coordinator Bernice De Decker.

Within the foundation, there are also subcommittees that focus on specific areas. They include:

• The fundraising committee that focuses on fundraising efforts to meet financial goals;

• The finance committee that monitors the organization’s finances;

• The legacy and planned giving committee, which focuses on long-term sustainability through planned donations;

• The nominating and governance committee, which makes sure the board has the right mix of skills to help benefit the foundation; and

• The strategic planning committee, which helps to guide the foundation in the direction that aligns with its mission.

The foundation has been working hard and has reached many milestones over the past few years thanks to the strong community support. As shown in the newspaper and on social media, the most recent success is the raising of $650,000 in under a year for the new state-of-the-art X-ray machine at the hospital, allowing technicians to carry on with top level care.

The foundation also achieved its $3-million goal for the “Here For You Today, Building For Tomorrow” campaign, which involved major renovations to the hospital’s east and west wings. Key upgrades included modernized patient rooms, improved mechanical systems, enhanced safety features and barrier-free washrooms.

“The foundation will continue to raise funds for our community’s health-care initiatives, including supporting both the hospital and wellness centre needs,” foundation vice chair Erin Reynolds said.

The foundation is always looking ahead to the future. Members remain in constant contact with Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance staff about what is needed and how to prioritize those needs. They also work closely with Dr. Jon Schiedel, the doctor representative for the wellness centre, and with Janis Fread, who represents the St. Marys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

Past chair Cindy Bilyea, who has been with the foundation for eight years, spoke about what she will miss once her term is over.

“I will miss all the people, whether it be the volunteer directors I have had the privilege of working with, the good, caring people, the other foundations, or the HPHA staff. I will miss the wonderful donor stories I could tell you that blew my mind. I have enjoyed seeing the growth of the foundation in the last eight years. Visiting the service clubs, municipalities and individuals that were so generous and welcoming have been wonderful experiences.”

Bilyea also said the Building for Tomorrow campaign was great to be a part of with many more events on the horizon.

Upcoming foundation events include:

• Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign the week of April 27 to May 3. The funds raised from this year’s sale will go toward a new trauma light for the emergency department at St. Marys Memorial Hospital.

• A Community Breakfast at Milt Dunnell Field Saturday, May 30, from 8 a.m. to noon by donation.

• The very popular 33rd annual golf tournament is taking place on Thursday, Aug. 20, at River Valley Golf Course. Registration is open and there are also opportunities for sponsorship at trellis.org/2026golf

• The Hospital Gala is held every other year and has had some impressive Canadian guest speakers like Clara Hughes and Brent Butt. The next gala will be held in 2027 with the theme being, “Night in Paris.” Keep an eye on the newspaper and on social media for more information closer to the date.

For more information on the St. Marys Healthcare Foundation or to donate, visit www.stmaryshealthcare.foundation.

The foundation also has their own office inside the hospital just off reception. Feel free to pop in or call 519-284-1332 ext. 3450.

Area residents can support the foundation by becoming a monthly donor and by supporting the foundation’s 50/50 draw.