Centre to bring healing closer to home

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/03/2023 (1316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Virden man who wanted to leave a legacy for western Manitobans has gifted millions of dollars for a place of hope and healing, says the head of CancerCare Manitoba.

The donation of $3.5 million to build the Centre for Hope in Brandon was made by the late Paul Albrechtsen and his foundation.

The Centre for Hope will offer physical and emotional wellness programs for patients and families who have cancer, and once complete will be located in the new Western Manitoba Cancer Centre, which is also under construction as an expansion to the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

It will be the second Centre for Hope in Manitoba, with the first built in Winnipeg. Brandon’s facility will be about 3,000 square feet with a solarium for yoga and other wellness activities, as well as an outdoor courtyard space and healing gardens.

The number of people with cancer in Manitoba is rising, according to Dr. Sri Navaratnam, president and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba. By 2035, there will be 10,000 new cancer diagnoses annually in Manitoba, compared to the current 6,000 cases each year.

“To meet this urgent need, this expansion will accommodate that and also not just the capacity, but also enhances cancer services by providing second radiation treatment and much-needed clinical and treatment spaces,” Navaratnam said at a news conference Wednesday.

Navaratnam and several other CancerCare representatives were in Brandon, along with Premier Heather Stefanson and Health Minister Audrey Gordon to announce the donation to the Centre for Hope.

Construction started on the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre expansion in January, with 9,400 square feet of space to provide radiation treatment, chemotherapy, research and, according to Navaratnam, clinical trials that will benefit Manitobans outside of Winnipeg.

Just as important as providing clinical care, Navaratnam said, is helping cancer patients and their families deal with the emotional distress such as anxiety and depression, because the disease is a shock to the body and the mind.

“A patient needs more than clinical care, more than radiation, more than chemotherapy to make a full and complete recovery and have better outcome in counselling,” Navaratnam said. “And we’re so pleased that along with increased clinical services in cancer care, we’ll provide a hope and healing program through the Centre for Hope.”

The project is made possible by Albrechtsen, who died in 2019 but began his life in Canada more than 60 years ago. He started Paul’s Hauling trucking company in Virden in the early 1950s, after moving there from Denmark. By 1957, he was in business in Brandon, and four years later the company was operating out of Winnipeg.

Throughout his life he was known for his charitable contributions in Manitoba, donating almost $30 million to various organizations in Winnipeg, and was the single-largest donor to the St. Boniface Hospital and Health Sciences Centre foundations. In 2018, Albrechtsen received the Order of Canada.

He would have wanted to know that lives will be changed because of his gift, said Lee Meagher, board chair of the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. She and Albrechtsen often spoke about his start in Virden, and how proud he was of his early years.

“Years ago, we had the pleasure of dreaming with Paul, and how he would impact and leave a legacy to the province and for the future of Manitobans with cancer,” Meagher said. “This donation will honour his love for this part of the province.”

The Paul Albrechtsen Foundation nor his family immediately responded to a request for comment Wednesday.

In August 2021, the provincial government announced funding of almost $110 million for the construction and expansion of the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre and the Brandon hospital, with both projects expected to be complete by 2025.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @enviromichele