A public grand opening ceremony was held on August 13 in honour of the Horizon Project, the outdoor patio-and-gazebo structure built as an attachment to the Kamsack and District Nursing Home (KDNH).
Described as “a labour of love,” the project was the vision of Karen Rubletz, recreation coordinator, at the Kamsack and District Nursing Home and a 34-year employee of the Sunrise Health Region.
“When was the last time you did something that really scared you?” asked Beverley Scobie, president of the KDNH auxiliary and emcee for the afternoon’s program as she spoke to the large crowd assembled in the nursing home recreation room.
“Was it making a speech in public to such a large crowd about an equally large project?
“I welcome you all to the grand opening of the Horizon Project which the auxiliary, along with the help of the community, took on by constructing this beautiful patio,” she said.
“The auxiliary has been in existence for 43 years and its purpose is to enhance the lives of nursing home residents with extras not provided in the budget. Over the years, our main means of fundraising has been teas, bake sale, raffles and memorial donations from funerals.
“With the patio project we reached further,” Scobie said. “Our desire was to offer more space and fresh air to our KDNH residents, and restore the loss of their former surroundings, where they worked hard to make this community what it is today. Their community responded with open hearts and pocketbooks.”
“We would like to say thank you to everyone who contributed to make this a reality in any way.
“Karen Rubletz has been the driving force behind this project and we thank her for her hard work and leadership, for she spent many hours making sure all the regulations were adhered to for this project, and she also was instrumental in securing Scott Fuller; ‘superb master landscaper,’ to spearhead construction,” she said.
“The Horizon Project has been a labour of love for me,” said Myrna Dey.
Speaking about how the nursing home had become like her second home after her late husband became a resident there, Dey described the kindness displayed to her and her family by nursing home staff, and in an effort to give back, she joined the auxiliary and volunteered to fundraise for the outdoor patio which she named the Horizon Project.
“What clinched the project was when Joe Kozakewich and Tom Campbell kindly agreed to sponsor it as their charity for the Old Dog Run in 2016. Thank you, Joe and Tom.
“The real work fell to Karen Rubletz, who became as caring and dedicated to this project as she has been to the residents of the nursing home for 34 years. I think of her as ‘The Little Engine That Could.’ Finding Scott Fuller, our landscaper, was Karen’s triumph.
“We hope (this patio) will bring the landscape back to these citizens who once lived beyond the four walls that surround them now. For they are citizens – parents, grandparents, teachers, farmers, nurses, dentists, carpenters, railroad men, entrepreneurs – who built this community.
“With more donations – and I did bring my receipt book – we still hope to furnish it with potted plants, benches, chairs and tables where families can join their loved ones for generations to come, to feel the sun and fresh air, hear geese, see trains, cars, people and watch the seasons change over the rolling prairie, backed by a horizon now open to our cherished residents and our living skies,” said Dey.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself as to how this idea took on a life of its own and materialized more quickly and more splendidly than we ever imagined.”
Fighting back tears, Dey thanked her family for their unwavering support of her and her late husband.
Pointing out that the Horizon Project coincides with Canada’s 150th birthday, Karen Rubletz said that makes it more memorable.
“It was hard work, very stressful and intimidating but it was definitely worth it,” she said. “After 34 years of working here, this is my proudest achievement of my career.
“My job is enhancing the lives of our residents, being their advocate, recruiting volunteers and working in conjunction with the auxiliary. This is the ultimate result of the culmination of these all coming together perfectly!
“I came to the nursing home auxiliary with the name of Scott Fuller, unknown to anyone. I put my faith in Scott.”
Rubletz described what a pleasure it had been to work with Fuller during the construction phase of the project and how he exceeded all expectations, stating people will definitely know who Scott Fuller is now.
Rubletz expressed many thanks to Dey for her tenacious fundraising, Fuller for his impeccable craftsmanship and the KDNH auxiliary under the direction of Bev Scobie and Adeline Nykolaishen, which she called an incredible group of individuals to work with.
Joe Kozakewich described how a letter from Dey, on behalf of the KDNH auxiliary, directed to himself and Tom Campbell, both of whom promote the Old Dog Run fundraising effort, put in motion the idea of donating funds from the 2016 Old Dog Run to the Horizon Project.
Both Kozakewich and Campbell were in agreement that the project was wonderful and worthwhile, and were eager to have the Old Dog Run participate in the fundraising.
Kozakewich had made the 2017 ride one day earlier, and remarked to the crowd that he was “almost ready to check himself into the nursing home” after the previous gruelling days he had endured, to which the crowd responded with much laughter.
“It started with a need, then an idea followed by the motivation and dedication required to see this project though,” Kozakewich said. “Well, here we are today, standing beside this amazing sunroom, overlooking the valley, orchard and other areas to the west and southeast of the nursing home.
“Congratulations to the auxiliary, management and staff. You should all be very proud.”
Scott Fuller, of Scott’s Landscape Plus of Wroxton, the contactor/landscaper who completed the construction for the Horizon Project, shared some humorous anecdotes with everyone, about his muddy boots which should have gotten him yelled at, and how fortunate he was that Myrna Dey, whom he had dubbed the “pirate lady” early on in the project, had a sense of humour.
“I hope that we (the construction crew) were of some entertainment to the residents,” he said.
Laurie Ducheminsky, who has been a resident of the KDNH for five years, spoke about how interesting it had been to watch the different stages that went into building the patio, and how the excitement amongst the residents grew as the project approached completion.
She shared with everyone what had become a standing joke between her and Fuller, for, during the early stages of construction, he had suggested that it would be a good idea to “put a blade on my wheelchair so that I could help push and level the sand. “The patio is a wonderful addition to our nursing home that will be enjoyed by present and future residents for many years to come,” she said.
