The grand opening of the newly renovated St. John Hospital staff residence was held last Friday.
The $50,000 make-over project was funded through local donations from the community including a $22,000 donation from the estate of resident Earl Laverne Moffat.
A $25,000 grant was also received from the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation’s Northern Health staff lottery.
The building was originally constructed in the 1950s to provide a residence for nuns who worked at the hospital.
The project was for renovations to the interior of the 12-room residence and included new flooring and paint throughout the building and a new bathroom.
“These renovations support our ability to house students, visiting physicians and other health professionals while they are working on short or long-term placements in our community,” said April Hughes, Omineca and Lakes District Health Service Administrator.
Nechako Lakes MLA, John Rustad, along with Vanderhoof Mayor Gerry Thiessen and Don Gowan, Chief Executive Officer, Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation all attended the grand opening and spoke about the benefits of the staff residence to the hospital and wider community.
“This new staff residence will ensure we are able to continue to attract health professionals to the area who will provide quality services to patients in need,” said Rustad.