News Releases

April, 2008

Official opening ceremonies celebrate success of Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre

by Lisa Brazeau

In April of 2005, Town of Petawawa councillor Treena Lemay took a phone call that will remain forever etched in her mind. The caller was Mary Fleming, primary health care team director from the East and interdisciplinary region of Kingston, and the news would change the face of primary health care in Petawawa. "Mary was the lady's voice in 2005 who said 'congratulations Petawawa, you have been granted one of the first 50 family health teams," recalled councillor Lemay, who sits at the head of a board whose hard work and dedication was recognized time and time again at the recent opening ceremonies of the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre (PCFHC).

A four year journey officially became reality in April when the new health centre opened its doors to patients, but on Sunday, May 25, staff, board members, supporters, and many of those who played a role, large or small, in the realization of the dream gathered at the new centre to look back at the road travelled, and forward to the future.

"Making that phone call, and others in Eastern Ontario, certainly makes a job worthwhile as does visiting here today and seeing the difference between the little PMQ you were located in, in 2005, and what you've accomplished," said Fleming, one of several special guest speakers at the afternoon event. "What made that phone call to Treena so pleasurable was knowing that the doctor ratio was around one to 16,000 and we were stunned by that. We are so, so pleased that that problem is being alleviated." In 2004, Petawawa lost the second of three local doctors to retirement.

The leadership of the town and of CFB Petawawa, recognizing the impact of the lack of immediate primary care provision to local residents, formed a Community Health Committee. As a result of discussions that year, the committee opted to create an incorporated, not-for-profit body under the name of the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre. The board of directors were committed to establishing a sustainable system of health care that addressed the full spectrum of health concerns.

In July of 2005, the inaugural site of the PCFHC opened in renovated Private Military Quarters (PMQ) at 12 Reichwald on the base's north townsite. Former CFB/ASU Petawawa Commander LCol Dave Rundle, who served as an ex-officio member of the board during his tenure at CFB Petawawa, recalled the grand opening of that facility three years ago. "I can tell you, standing here in front of this facility is a much more pleasant experience," he said. "This is truly a success story and I can't help but be thankful to have been a part of this team." Operating out of a 3,600 square foot duplex, Lemay noted that before the team moved into the building, they had already outgrown it.
"But that was okay because it was a place to start and it was a good place to launch the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Team," she noted. "The surroundings were just surroundings - it was the aim and the goal that was most important. "That ‘aim and goal’ is now bricks and mortar, a 12,000 square foot $2,225-million facility funded to the tune of $1.925-million by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and approximately $500,000 from the town. "If it sounds as though I've got a little bit of pride in my voice
and a bit of a smile on my face, let me just say once you've had an opportunity to tour this tremendous facility, you'll understand why," said Petawawa Mayor Bob Sweet, who extended his thanks to "all of the partners who worked so diligently with us to deliver this facility, which will serve our community for decades and generations to come," he said. He reserved the biggest kudos for the board of directors and its president, Treena Lemay.

"I've never met a more dedicated, committed group of individuals who worked tirelessly to deliver on this," Mayor Sweet remarked. "The commitment that they made just takes my breath away and I'm sure that you'll appreciate that when you walk through this facility."