The Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society has unveiled its completed new rec room, which provides more opportunities for people to gather process their grief.
The new space was unveiled with a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning.
“We're just so grateful, and so excited for what this building might evolve into,” said community programs manager Denise Torgerson.
She explained that the rec room was inspired by instrumental grievers, which are people who process their grief through actions.
“They're not going to want to sit at a table and talk about their feelings, and they're certainly not necessarily going to want to cry in public.”
She told the story of a man named John who lost his wife at hospice number of years ago but came back as a volunteer and painted every room in the Hospice House.
“And you just know that as he's painting, every stroke is thinking about his wife and bringing her closer to him.”
The rec room is intended to serve as a dynamic space for local organizations where people will have the opportunity to participate in things like art and craft workshops, pottery, puzzles, painting, leatherworking, and more.
“I'm imagining that even in a grieving population, in this building there can be a lot laughter and a lot of just conversation about daily life,” added Torgerson.
The Rec Room will be accessible to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday for planned programming.
“A number of years ago, my dad spent the last days of his life here at hospice long before there was an expansion and all of these amazing additional things that have been put in place,” MLA Shirley Bond told the crowd.
She said from that day forward, she recognized the absolute benefit the importance of hospice care.
“Sometimes we take for granted the amazing people and place that we have to care for our loved ones, our friends and our family here in Prince George. This hospice society literally leads our province with innovation, and with care with compassion.”
The rec room is also part of a larger backyard expansion, which includes the incorporation of a gardening area and a labyrinth situated within the property, allowing for future development and growth.
