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Trail auxiliary helps grow hospital garden

The KBRH Garden Project ensures that hospital grounds are warm and welcoming.
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L-R: Allana Ferro, auxiliary president, along with volunteers Sandy and Geri, presented the donation to this project to Ruth Kohut, KBRH director of clinical operations and KBRH foundation board member; and John Sullivan, KBRH foundation board chair. Photo: Submitted

The Trail Hospital Auxiliary has donated $600 to provide flowering planters for the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) entrance.

The Garden Project at KBRH ensures that the hospital grounds are warm and welcoming to patients and their loved ones.

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It all began in 1943 when the Trail Hospital Auxiliary was formed by Miss Heeny, the superintendent of nurses. According to the auxiliary’s impeccably kept minutes, Miss Heeny asked several ladies to consider forming the organization – until then nurses ran the show and CM&S (Cominco) was the primary donor of equipment and free oxygen, as well as free steam and heat to the hospital and nurses quarters.

The first meeting was held on June 29 in the nurses residence, by Honorary President Mrs. S.G. Blaylock, President Mrs. E.S. Hoare, Vice President Mrs. Herb Clark, and Mrs. Archie Miller, Secretary Treasurer.

One of the earliest volunteer services was a library. Auxiliary women circulated books to patients on a donated “Safeway cart” until the Cominco carpenter shop built the group a sturdier model a few years later.

This service continues today although a myriad of other auxiliary duties have been added over time, including manning the lobby’s information desk, delivering mail, rolling the candy cart floor-to-floor, and portering. That’s all in addition to impressive fundraising through gift shop sales.



newsroom@trailtimes.ca

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Sheri Regnier

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