Health Minister Terry Lake toured the Menno Place1 campus in Abbotsford last Thursday.
The walk-about tour provided Lake with an overview of the campus' 60-year legacy of care.
It started with a visit to the independent living and assisted iving apartment buildings that are home to 350 seniors.
The tour stopped at the Terrace East/West dining room, where a tenant led the elders in grace and a song.
There was a short stop to meet Misty, the friendly Pomeranian pup who spends her work day greeting people at the reception desk.
The tour continued to Primrose Gardens, Menno Place’s newest apartment building that opened in 2010.
From a sixth-floor balcony of an apartment suite, Lake saw an aerial view of the 11-acre campus and heard about the vision for the redevelopment of the aging buildings.
From there, Lake toured Menno Home, home to 196 residents and one of the original buildings on the campus. It is also one of two residential care facilities on the campus.
Lake then met with Bonnie, a gentle golden retriever from the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Division, and her owner Adrian Renkers.
After rescuing and adopting Bonnie, Renkers started the Therapy Dog Division at Menno Home in 2010. This program has grown to 28 teams in Abbotsford.
Bonnie and three other dog therapy teams are weekly visitors at Menno Place.
Menno Hospital (Residential Care), home to 151 residents, was the final stop on the tour.
Joining Lake on the tour was Abbotsford-Mission MLA Simon Gibson.
The tour was hosted by Menno Place CEO Karen L. Baillie, as well as the Mennonite Benevolent Society board president Gerd Bartel and vice-president Catherine Kidd.
While in Abbotsford, Lake also visited Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and Abbotsford Regional Hospital.