Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Northern Alberta families with ill loved ones can rest assured they will soon have a place to stay while their family member recovers from their ailment.
“The Ken Sargent House will be a 21-suite, home-away-from-home for individuals and families traveling to Grande Prairie for medical care, providing a comfortable, supportive, and affordable place to stay,” explains Ken Sargent House director Dale Bond.
“The home may be for the individual receiving outpatient treatment, or it may be used by their support system if they are an inpatient,” she adds.
“The house will not provide any medical services, instead it will be there to support the overall well-being of an individual and their support system.”
The house is going to be conveniently located in Grande Prairie close to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, and its doors will be open to people who may require some home-like comfort when going through a difficult medical time. It will offer 21 suites, a kitchen, communal living space, office space, and laundry facilities.
“It will serve patients and their families who must travel to the city for treatments like chemotherapy, surgery, dialysis, or other specialized care, offering them a place to stay eases both the financial and emotional burden,” explains Bond.
The purpose of the house is to help reduce families’ financial burden associated with medical care, improve family well-being, enhance patient recovery, strengthen family connection, provide a sense of normalcy, and is meant to help strengthen the region and the community.
“Ken Sargent is a respected community member, entrepreneur and philanthropist known for his generosity, service, and commitment to the well-being of others,” says Bond.
“Ken made a transformational gift of $2 million that has been endowed to support future operations of the house and naming the house in his honour reflects his legacy and the values he stands for.”
The house will provide a place for people or their families to stay when they have to travel to Grande Prairie for their healthcare journey, notably providing residence for people from rural or remote areas.
Bond explains that over half of the inpatients at Grande Prairie Regional Hospital (GPRH) were from outside of the city in 2024, with additional people accessing outpatient services such as the cancer centre and QE11 Ambulatory Care Center.
The Ken Sarent House team is working diligently to try to raise funds to help run the facility long term. They are hoping to ensure the house can stay in operation to help families for generations to come.
“Illness is truly a great equalizer,” Bond stresses.
“It doesn’t care about your job title, your income, your postal code. It can knock on anyone’s door at any time. No amount of money, preparation, or planning can truly shield you from that moment when life changes in an instant.”
Bond says the Ken Sargent House team is hoping to raise upwards of $12 million to help ensure there is a comfortable space available for patients and their families, where no one has to face illness alone.
Bond adds although the house is named for Ken Sargent, it’s being built for every family member who’s ever sat beside a hospital bed, for every sibling who’s waited in the hallway, for every child who just wants to be held by their mom or dad at the end of a hard day.
“It’s a house that says ‘you belong here, and you are not alone,’” Bond notes.
“The house exists to serve your region, and its sustainability depends on the generosity of those who are able to give. A gift here becomes part of something life-changing for someone else.”
Bond says the cost of the build is $12 million. The team’s goal after the building is ready to house families is to build a large enough endowment to sustain operations moving forward. At this juncture, they still require approximately $7 million to complete the build.
“All eligible donations receive a charitable tax receipt,” Bond says.
“Donations can be made online through our website, by mail, or in-person. We’re also happy to speak directly with donors about legacy gifts, major contributions, or sponsorship opportunities.”
Bond says illness affects the entire family and that when a family member is sick, the whole family is sick.
“Ken Sargent House will be more than a bed, it provides a welcoming environment, emotional support, proximity to GPRH, and a network of others experiencing a similar journey, all of which make a difficult time just a little easier,” says Bond.
“It creates a sense of normalcy when the journey they are facing is far from normal.”
Ken Sargent House will serve patients and families across Northern Alberta, particularly people in rural and remote communities who will have to travel long distances for care.
“If we can work to remove some of the barriers for patients and their families accessing healthcare in GP, we want our region to know that we are committed to ensuring that when a loved one is ill or injured, their family won’t have to choose between staying close and staying afloat,” Bond says.
The Grande Prairie Rotary Clubs’ Wellness Centre Society was formed in 2016 to join efforts to build affordable accommodations for patients seeking advanced health care, with a long-term goal of partnering with an organization to take over ongoing operations.
In 2023, Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation joined the partnership to undertake general operations of the Ken Sargent House and the fundraising efforts.
In 2024, Northwestern Polytechnic (formerly Grande Prairie Regional College) signed a long-term land lease providing a one-acre lot for the construction of Ken Sargent House.
Fundraising efforts continue, but Bond says the Ken Sargent House construction will soon commence, with its completion anticipated for late fall 2026. A sod turning was held May 29 and digging will be started within the next two weeks.
“Your support helps to provide stability for families during a time of crisis,” Bond says.
“Your donation will have a long-lasting impact, benefitting hundreds of families for years to come.”
For more information on the project please visit kensargenthouse.ca.