Gail and her daughter Angela Beking gave a first-person account of the wonderful care that their father and grandfather had received since becoming a resident at Dundas Manor. Tinkess Photo

BRINSTON – It was an evening meant to impress, to celebrate, and to offer heartfelt thanks to everyone who had given what they could to help make the new Dundas Manor a dream so very close to becoming a reality.

The Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) Foundation Sapphires and Snowflakes has been an opportunity to stop briefly, give thanks, recharge, and they forge ahead in the difficult process of raising the necessary public funds to complete the New Dundas Manor. This year, with the goal within reach, the energy in the room seemed somehow even greater than in the past.

The event began at 6:00 p.m. and included charcuterie boards at each table filled with a selection of meatballs, buttermilk Greek chicken, and pork tenderloin, combined with a selection of artisan breads, soup and vegetarian options. Wine was available with dinner, and coffee and tea were available throughout the evening along with an amazing dessert table.

While guests enjoyed the dinner fare, there was a steady parade of speakers, which was interrupted with a live auction, which was a show in itself, and later by a separate “Fund-a-Need” fundraiser in which the largest donation was $25,000. The auctioneer, Ottawa-based Ryan E. Watson, is a perpetual motion machine who not only helps raise incredible amounts of money for charitable organizations but leaves everyone feeling good in doing so. The evening wound up with music from the Nation River Rebels.

It was the speakers, however, who made up most of the evening, and they carried a common theme through their words: Thank you for helping to create something very special.

Eldon Horner, Chairman of the Board for Rural Healthcare Innovations (RHI), which operates Dundas Manor offered greetings to everyone who attended the Sapphires and Snowflakes fundraiser. “We have a community that continues to amaze me,” said Horner. “I don’t mind telling you that I was involved in the redevelopment of Winchester Hospital, and I was amazed at that time was what this community did, to rebuild our hospital.

“When the proposition was made to rebuild Dundas Manor, I thought I don’t know. I don’t know if this community can do that again, and it’s different for a long-term care home, as you know, to a hospital. This community has stepped up beyond my expectations. It really has been amazing. So, on behalf of myself and on behalf of the Board of Dundas Manor, thank you all. I am sure that all of you here have already chipped in and helped out. I’m really grateful that you’re here tonight.”

The Beking family is just one of many families who have discovered how Dundas Manor is a special place, and Gail Beking and her daughter Angela shared their experience, noting the impact of trying to be a caregiver can have on a family.

“Being a caregiver for someone living with dementia is stressful,” said Gail Beking. “It is an emotionally, typically draining job. Dad lived with me until his healthcare needs became too much for me to handle on my own. I then made a very difficult decision to move him into a retirement home.

In April of 2022, Gail’s dad had a fall and an infection. He was admitted to hospital, where he had a five week stay.

He was seen by several different doctors during that time, and one particular doctor was confident, he would pass away in the hospital, and suggested it was time to call in the family.

Due to his condition, the retirement home he had been living in would not accept him, and as a result he was placed in Dundas Manor, the family’s second choice, and the unexpected happened. “Over the first two weeks, they had dad walking, eating, toileting himself with assistance, bathing with assistants, and attending activities,” said Beking.

Approximately six months later there was a bed offer from what had been the family’s first choice, but they turned it down. He, and his family saw Dundas Manor as home. “I am very grateful for the ability of everyone involved. to turn my dad’s condition from near death to living, living the best life he can in a home that clearly cares about their residents,” added Beking. “The care he has received is exceptional. He was happy and I was happy. He became a permanent resident of Dundas Manor that day, and I felt confident with that choice. Here we are in February of 2026, Dad is still with us, and it will be four years in May that he has called Dundas Manor home.”

Jennifer Hill is the activity programs and services director at Dundas Manor, and like so many of the Manor’s staff, she considers herself lucky to play such a fulfilling role for 31 years. In 2020 she was asked to be a part of the group formed to fundraise for the new Dundas Manor, and while she didn’t think she would be any good at asking people for money, she agreed to help in an advisory mode, providing insight and anecdotes about the Manor.

Early in the process she had a conversation with a consultant who was helping with the fundraising campaign and was told that once you determined your “Why,” why you believed it was a worthy cause, then it would become much easier. Why should people give money to build a new Dundas Manor? Why do you feel it’s worthwhile and it’s a good place for people to open their hearts, and their wallets, too?

“I knew I was overthinking it,” said Hill, “And I was unsure, and then it dawned on me. It became very clear. It was right in front of me. My why.  My why is simply the people. The people are my why.”

She spoke about the residents, how each one is different and has lived a unique life prior to calling Dundas Manor home. She talked about the volunteers, who give so freely of their time, she talked about staff, some of which have been at the Manor for over forty years. She talked about some of the new staff, who are starting to be brought in, in preparation for the increased staffing needs of the new facility, some from as far away as Nigeria, India or Ghana, and their dreams of a better life for their family.

“If you were here the last time, I talked about the magic,” said Hill. “The magic is still there. It still embraces you as you spend time there. But it’s the people who make the magic happen. So now you know my why, now you know why I can stand up here and ask you to support the building of our new home. It’s for the people.”

Cindy. Ault-Peters, Executive Director of the Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) Foundation was the last speaker of the evening and thanked everyone for what they together had accomplished so far. “Tonight, as I look around this room, I’m grateful,” said Ault-Peters. “Grateful for each person I see here. The $19 million goal seemed insurmountable, but it is now within our reach.”

Ault-Peters went on to thank everyone who had contributed, regardless of how large or how small a contribution it was. She thanked the Dundas Manor team for their passion and dedication to the people in their care. She thanked all the members of the fundraising team and the volunteers for their hours of hard work, and to the event sponsors and to the people who shared their stories.

“Your words remind us that this project isn’t just about constructing a building,” said Ault-Peters in closing. “It’s about building a home. It’s about people, and ensuring this final chapter is filled with comfort, joy, and a place to call home. Together, we are building more than a long-term care home. We are creating a community of care for the future, a promise that our seniors will always have a ball filled with respect, infinity, kindness, and connection. Thank you all for the bottom of my heart for being here, for believing in this dream, and for helping bring it to life.”