It took a lot of work to even create Chateau Providence.
Now the care facility celebrated 25 years at their St. Brieux home with cake on June 16.
For the Town of St. Brieux and surrounding area, this has meant 25 years of excellent care for local residents along with numerous volunteers and staff members, said Louise Kosokowsky, the facility administrator.
“The community spirit that started this project is still alive and well here at the Chateau.”
Thirty residents are currently living at the Chateau with around 50 staff on hand to provide this infamous care.
It took much community support and care to even get the project off the ground over 40 years ago.
Paul Leray was mayor of St. Brieux at the time of the opening in 1992 and he said lobbying for the facility began in the 1970s and continued on into the 1980s.
A group of women saw the needs that were facing an aging population which took a lot of discussion between them and the governments of the day.
Leray noted a handful of important people that brought the project forward, including their local MLA at the time, Grant Hodgins, who went to bat for the Chateau committee and got the ball rolling back in the late ‘80s. He was able to set up a meeting with George McLeod, the health minister, who was able to sign off on the Chateau project.
Dr. Lionel Lavoie also provided an important part of the project since the project could not go forward without a letter of intent from a doctor saying that he would make regular visits.
However the project would not have seen the light of day without dedicated people pushing it along, said Leray.
“We had a dedicated committee that organized all the necessary steps from the fundraising to hiring an architect and deciding on the proper plans that everyone was in agreement with...once we had fundraising in place, it was a go.”
Twenty-five years later, Leray says he is grateful for all the work that took place 25 years ago.
“It would not happen in this day,” he said.
Leray acknowledged that it took many people to make this project a success and to keep the Chateau operating.
