The unveiling of the new Edie Montgrand Centre in honour of Edith (Edie) Montgrand was held at the Town N Country mall on Friday, June 10th. Dignitaries, staff, special guests and Edith’s family were in attendance.
Moose Jaw North MLA and Provincial Secretary Tim McLeod held the dedication ceremony on behalf of the Ministry of Social Services and Honourable Minister Gene Makowsky.
"It's an absolute honour. We are all very touched by this; it was unexpected but knowing our mom, she definitely made an impact in the therapy department in providing services that enriched all lives to lead better and healthier lives.It's an absolute honour and one that she would be very moved by," said Angela Montgrand, Edie’s youngest daughter.
Edith Bernice Montgrand was born and raised outside of Moose Jaw in the Mortlach area. She worked at the Moose Jaw’s Valley View Centre for 35 years, beginning her career as a psychiatric nurse in training but quickly revealing herself as a leader and true supporter of therapeutic change. After the birth of her youngest child, Edie decided to go back to school and continue her education, eventually returning to Valley View to become the manager of the therapies department and retired in 2005.
Edie was an advocate for change regarding therapeutic services, leaving a lasting impact on the way therapy is utilized. In 2007, Edie passed away at the age of 64.
The Edie Montgrand Centre was first opened at the end of 2019 and provides occupational, physiotherapy, and recreational therapy. The hope is that this facility will bridge the gap in terms of the services that are currently available and replace the old Valley View Centre. The facility works towards fall prevention, wheelchair seating, meal management, and sensory challenges in addition to providing therapy services and outreach programs to the community.
Bev Lamb, Manager of Clinical Prevention Services said, “As soon as we learned that we were going to have the centre, a number of us thought we really need to do this and honor her (Edie).”
The legacy that Edie left behind helped to mold the way therapies are provided, and the new centre will continue to help those in need of support in honour of Edith Montgrand.
