Just six views separate the next two stories in the countdown – Healthcare in the Peace region was again of interest, when Northern Health announced that the third house at Peace Villa would finally go ahead and the board expressed concern that even more spaces are needed.
On a lighter note, Stage North’s production of Mamma Mia was a resounding success!
#5 – Hospital board concerned Peace Villa expansion won’t be enough
With the third house at Peace Villa now in the works, Area C Director Brad Sperling says this is not the time for local governments to rest on their laurels but rather examine the population projections and put together plans for future needs.
“Although we appreciate Peace Villa going ahead, we know Fort St. John and area will need more than that,” Sperling told the Peace River Regional Hospital District (PRRHD) board meeting directors on July 17. “We know that because we work closely with SONS.”
When Peace Villa, which is attached to the Fort St. John Hospital, was built, Save Our Northern Seniors (SONS) warned that omitting the third “pod” from the facility was going to be an issue.
In The Broken Typewriter’s article about the announcement that the business case for the third house had been approved, SONS president Margaret Little said:
“The long-term vision for the third house, or third pod as they’re calling it has always been there. It’s a matter of when they were going to do it. We’ve been advocating that for a number of years, when Jean Leahy was the president. And we’ve been wanting to have the third house because we told them the day that Peace Villa opened, that it was going to be full and have a waiting list,” Little said.
“It was true, there was.”
Everyday, Little says, there are people being brought into the hospital who cannot cope at home, cannot look after themselves and are being admitted to hospital to wait to get into Peace Villa.
“Those [people] that are waiting for a bed, for a room in Peace Villa, are in there, while people in Emergency can’t get into a room. People who need operations need a room; it’s a vicious circle.”
What they don’t know, Sperling said, is what the other rural areas and municipalities need in terms of housing for seniors, now and in the future.
#4 – NPCC transforms into Greek paradise as Mamma Mia hits the stage
A wedding, a reunion and a family’s story that plays out on a fictional Greek island, set to the music of ABBA – what more could an audience ask for?
How about a sing-along show and a sensory-friendly matinee for neurodiverse audiences? Stage North will deliver all that, and tell the story of the Sheridan family, an enchanting tale of friendship, love and laughter in Mamma Mia, which opens at the North Peace Cultural Centre on February 21.
The combination of ABBA’s timeless hits, dance numbers and comedy make Stage North’s production of Mamma Mia a show that must be seen.
Director Ted Sloan says that the cast of 42 has been rehearsing since September. After spending two months with a vocal coach, Rheanna Morris-Richert, the cast spent another two months with choreographer Emry Mika, and in January Sloan started blocking the show.
“It’s really a labour of love, with three different directors,” he said.
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