There was standing room only in the court yard of the Red River Valley Lodge (RRVL) Sunday afternoon during the facility’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Several current and former staff members, a resident, family with loved ones in the personal care home, and Southern Health-Santé representatives shared what the Lodge means to them.
Marielle Dyck, event organizer, retired recreation program coordinator, and now casual rec worker, spoke to the gift the Lodge gives local seniors of “aging in place; the RRVL is an important facility that makes Morris a community and not just a town.”
The Lodge hired and trained 19 staff members in November 1973. By the grand opening in March 1974, all 40 beds were full.
The Lodge was one of the first of its kind in the province, pioneering the way to provide quality care. Over the years the facility has evacuated for three floods, started the Valley Volunteer Auxiliary to raise funds to enrich the lives of the residents, been gifted a Handi-transit bus, installed an elevator and new security system, landscaped the outer courtyard, updated the dining, kitchen and recreation areas, and is currently experiencing a major renovation project to increase safety for staff and residents.
“I was one of the first to walk into the building,” shared Denise Knutt, a former health care aid and recreation assistant, one of the first staff members hired in 1973. “I didn’t get a job, but a family.”
Knutt worked at the facility for 30 years and shared stories of seasonal activities partaken in by staff and residents.
“At Halloween, the staff would dress up and the residents would judge.”
She also recalled the time a resident caught a fish during a trip to St. Malo beach.
“The excitement the fish caused among the residents as the story was retold … that fish grew!”
Julie Blouin, retired director of care for RRVL and Morris General Hospital, and Clara Wiebe, former client service manager and registered nurse, both separately acknowledged the continued compassion that exists for the residents, even when all 40 residents were evacuated to Portage la Prairie for a month in 1997.
There is respect for all, with the residents and staff feeling like family, they said.
“[The staff] continue to make the world a better place, providing excellent care no matter where,” shared Blouin.
Manager of health services Tanya McGregor expressed emotion when speaking of “our little hidden gem, where you can feel the love in the walls. Over fifty years…that’s a lot of love.”
She commended the dedication of the staff, their past and present commitments to the residents, and acknowledged the volunteers, family members, Lodge staff and the residents in their part of a bigger family.
“The residents have given their trust to us. [As staff], it is special and significant to be a part of their life. We welcome people into their new home. It is also a place to say goodbye.”
McGregor also celebrated the grand changes that exist over 50 years in a personal care home: policies and procedures, additions and renovations, changes in recreational activities, the dietary preparation of nutritious food, improvements and changes to needed equipment.
“This has been my second home for many years,” shared Peggy Lenton, who has been a nurse since 1984. “I’ve had the privilege of caring for so many people, each touching my heart in ways that I could not imagine. Their stories are a testament to a life well lived.”
Lenton also spoke of the staff-resident relationship as one of family, carrying blood family’s love forward, sharing in triumphs and challenges while maintaining commitment, kindness, and dignity.
To end the ceremony, Claudia Schmidt and Murielle Haight cut a cake similar to that which celebrated the opening of the facility a half century ago: an exact replica of the Lodge. The cake was created by Legends Bakery in Morden, detailing the Lodge down to the flower beds under the bedroom windows.
