The shovels are in the ground and Hospice Simcoe’s Residential Hospice House is on its way up.

On Friday, hundreds came out for the official sod-turning ceremony at the building site located on Aconley Court in the west end of Barrie.

Barb Richards, Hospice Simcoe Capital Campaign chairperson, was all smiles as she welcomed the crowd to the ceremony.

“I always believed we were going to be here today. It is just an absolutely wonderful occasion,” she said. “The people who started Hospice around a kitchen table, some of them are here. We even have some people here who lived on this property when it was farmland.”

The 10-bed residential house will provide an alternative choice for end-of-life care for anyone who does not want or need hospital care, or who are unwilling or unable to stay in their own homes.

Work has already begun on the site preparation, and excavation is underway.

Officials say construction is on time and on budget.

Jim McIntosh, chairperson fro the Hospice Simcoe Board of Directors, said it was good to see the hard work of so many paying off and to see the shovels finally in the ground.  

“At times it has been a real struggle and a few of us have wondered if we would ever make it,” he said. “But collectively we forged ahead, despite some of the obstacles. We are here today in part to celebrate our success in reaching a point that we are actually under construction.”

Barrie MP Patrick Brown, Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden and Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll were all on hand for the celebration.

Carroll, a former Hospice Simcoe volunteer, called the organization a remarkable group of people who help others in the most critical time in their lives.

Carroll said helping to bring the residential home to Hospice Simcoe was an important part of her campaign, and once elected she made sure to the government was aware of the issue.

“While I have always supported Hospice Simcoe … it was very important for me to run (Health Minister) George Smitherman to ground,” she said. “It wasn’t very hard because he and the premier are huge supporters of what hospices do right across the province.”

Carroll took time during the ceremony to officially hand over a cheque for $2,843,000, money allocated from the province.

“This is what the government of Ontario thinks of this project,” she said.

Jan Jansen, executive director of Hospice Simcoe, thanked everyone for their dedication to the project, and said she can’t wait to see the finished project.

Jansen said as she drives past the site every day on her way home, she has begun to imagine the future building and how it will help the community.

“I see our residents and their families, friends. I see volunteers and staff moving through their day, and I hear laughter down the hall. I smell fresh bread baking in the kitchen. I see our circle of friends group gathered around the fireplace … the work of hospice is unfolding and it’s a beautiful thing.”

The house is expected to be open next April.