Hon. Nancy J. Hartling: Honourable senators, on this National Hospice Palliative Care Week in Canada, it is time to celebrate and share achievements. I would like to offer my congratulations on the recent opening of our new hospice residence Maison Albert House in Moncton, New Brunswick. My gratitude to Dennis Cochrane, former chair of the not-for-profit Hospice SENB, and to the board of directors and volunteers whose tireless efforts over the past 15 years made this project possible. It is truly a labour of love and compassion with so many people working to make it a reality. I toured the facility before it opened and later attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and I am so proud to see such an outstanding project in my hometown.

It was named in recognition of Albert Arseneault, a prominent member of our community whose family donated $1 million to the project. In addition, financial backing from all levels of government ensured success. The residence was built on land generously donated by the Hum-Lew-Sun Lions Club. This is truly a community effort.

Maison Albert House in southeast New Brunswick is the first residential hospice and will eventually serve up to 150 palliative care patients a year. The residence operates in close collaboration with the New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program run by Medavie.

The type of care most of us will need at the end of our lives can be very complex and it needs to include consideration for physical comfort, emotional and spiritual needs, daily care and other practical considerations. In Canada, hospitals have become the default providers of end-of-life and palliative care because of the multitude of tests and scans that are needed at this stage of life, and because alternatives are sometimes difficult to find. This is very taxing on hospitals and stands in contrast to most patients’ stated desire to spend their last treasured days at home or in a quiet, private place. Maison Albert House and the Extra-Mural Program are working to provide better options.

The need for this new facility was clear. Despite Moncton being the fastest-growing region in New Brunswick, there were only 13 palliative care beds available at our two major hospitals.

Maison Albert House will be able to provide personalized palliative care free of charge for up to 10 residents who will each have their own private room. Families from out of town will be able to visit their loved ones and stay in one of four guest rooms. Residents will be served by 12 full-time and 9 part-time nurses and support care workers, along with trained volunteers. An in-house chef will prepare healthy, delicious meals. Also, it’s pet friendly — a wonderful policy, as our furry companions can bring us much joy and comfort. Sweetpea is the in-house therapy dog and will also be doing her rounds, visiting the residents on a daily basis.

My sincere thanks to all the volunteers, the staff and the board of Hospice SENB for making Maison Albert House a reality through this wonderful, much-needed initiative. Thank you.