Who We Are – A Bit of History

In 1980, the Brandon General Hospital was fortunate to have a very concerned group of interested Board members who began the process of establishing a hospital Foundation. John E. Harrison, the driving force behind the committee, along with Edward Shultz, Kenneth Bicknell and Myron Magee, set out to establish the Brandon General Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit registered charity, whose purpose was to augment funding for quality health care that would benefit everyone served by the Brandon General Hospital.

The steering committee, complemented by Zella Mills and Herman Nikkel, filed a petition for the enactment of a private bill (Bill 11) of the Manitoba Legislature for the incorporation of the Brandon General Hospital Foundation. After the customary three readings, Bill 11 received Royal Assent on July 9, 1980.

A substantial bequest, received at about the same time, initiated the concept of creating a separate fund to hold money in perpetuity and to distribute investment income in the form of grants.

The Foundation’s first elected Board of Directors was installed in September 1998. All persons, 18 years and over, who attend the Annual Meeting, are eligible to let their name stand for nomination. This elected Board governs the operations and investments of the Foundation.

Health care reform measures by the provincial government changed the name of the hospital to the Brandon Regional Health Centre. In March of 2002, the Board passed a motion to change the name from the Brandon General Hospital Foundation to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation.

The purpose of the Foundation has not changed from its initial aim which is to support education, research, program development, special equipment and health programs within the community for the benefit of all who are served by the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

The Foundation was a strong partner in the Healthy Futures campaign in 1998/1999. This campaign was launched to raise $3 M, the Community Contribution Component, for the construction of the state of the art Health Centre (Clinical Services building) that now exists at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. $1.8 M of the campaign target was for the purchase of equipment.

In March of 2004, the “A bed for you…a bed for me!” campaign was launched by the Foundation. Strong community support contributed to the success of this campaign as we reached the goal of $1.5 M to replace 242 beds in the Brandon Regional Health Centre and the Assiniboine Centre with new, electric beds.

Now the Foundation has embarked upon a very exciting and energetic building campaign! The Foundation's "A Sense of Home" Residence Building Campaign will fund construction of a new residence that will offer inviting, affordable and conveniently located accommodations for the hundreds of patients who travel to Brandon from surrounding communities for cancer treatment. 

A dedicated Board of Directors combined with a very generous community has created a Foundation that is making a difference.