Kingston’s first hospice residence breaks ground at Providence Village
A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Tuesday, Jun. 20, 2023, to kick off construction for Kingston’s first hospice residence.
After a decade of planning, Providence Care and Hospice Kingston officials joined the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul Council, University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, donors, volunteers, board members, and community members at the site of the new residence, which will be built in Providence Village, 1200 Princess Street.
“Not only will this be Kingston’s first hospice residence, it will also be the first development in Providence Village,” said Krista Wells Pearce, Vice President of Planning & Corporate Services and Executive Director of Hospice Kingston. “We are grateful our hospice residence will be a part of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul’s legacy.”
The 10-suite hospice residence will provide 24-hour care and support services in a “comfortable, home-like setting to clients, their families, and loved ones at end of life,” according to a release from Providence Care.
When it opens in mid-2024, this new care setting will complement the continuum of high-quality, compassionate palliative care provided at Providence Care Hospital and the community hospice visiting and support programs, available through Hospice Kingston, according to the organization. In April 2022, Hospice Kingston voluntarily integrated with Providence Care to create “a seamless experience for the people we serve and to enhance positive growth in the delivery of community palliative care and hospice services.”
According to Providence Care, the total project cost is approaching $13 million. The provincial government contribution is $1.75 million, and additional fundraising is required through University Hospitals Kingston Foundation and the dedicated Hospice Kingston Campaign Cabinet.
“We are incredibly grateful to our community for their support to our fundraising efforts to date,” said Campaign Cabinet Chair Peter Kingston.
“We are approximately $500,000 shy of our capital campaign goal to build the residence. Once we hit that target, we need to shift our focus to raising operating funds, given that the province only provides about 55 per cent of hospice operational funding. Going forward we will need to raise approximately $1.6 million dollars each year to support operational costs for the residence,” Kingston added.
The construction contract has been awarded to Kingston-based Emmons & Mitchell Construction Limited. Anyone who would like to support Hospice Kingston is encouraged to contact University Hospitals Kingston Foundation at www.uhkf.ca or by phone at 613-549-5452.