This year, Good Samaritan is celebrating its 75th anniversary of providing care to those who need it most. As we reflect on our remarkable journey, we must acknowledge and celebrate the vision and generosity that laid the foundation for our success today. Previously, we’ve looked back on the first 50 years of Good Samaritan’s history; in this issue, we’ll be looking the past 25 years (1999 to today), and looking ahead to the future!
Building Community Involvement
In 1999, the Client Family Community Advisory Council (CFCAC) was established. This council played a pivotal role in providing input, advice, and feedback on client care and services. It solidified Good Samaritan’s dedication to community engagement and improving its services through direct input from clients and families.
Groundbreaking ceremony for Good Samaritan Pioneer Lodge in Salmon Arm, 2004.
Major Expansions
In 2001, Good Samaritan Place CHOICE program was launched, providing comprehensive care for Edmonton seniors with a focus on maintaining independence. This same year, Good Samaritan South Ridge Village opened its doors in Medicine Hat. The care home is a comprehensive care facility, featuring three dementia care cottages for 30 residents, 50 continuing care beds, 42 supportive housing rental suites, and an adult day program.
The year 2002 was a year of significant growth for Good Samaritan. Several new care homes opened in Southern Alberta, including Good Samaritan Mountain View Centre in Hinton, Good Samaritan Vista Village in Pincher Creek. Additionally, the second phase of Good Samaritan South Ridge Village was completed, adding additional capacity. This same year, Good Samaritan Canada was formed to address the growing need for assisted living and continuing care facilities in British Columbia. The first BC care home, Good Samaritan Village by the Station, opened the following year.
In 2003, Good Samaritan continued to expand with the opening of Good Samaritan Park Meadows Village in Lethbridge and Good Samaritan Pembina Village in Evansburg, the latter featuring 30 continuing care beds, a dementia care cottage, and supportive living suites. The following year, 2004, saw the opening of the first Good Samaritan Seniors’ Clinic in Edmonton, a facility dedicated to the unique healthcare needs of senior citizens.
Further expansions in 2004 included the opening of Good Samaritan Clearwater Centre in Rocky Mountain House, as well as the completion of the second phase of Good Samaritan Village by the Station, underscoring the organization’s commitment to providing a range of care options for seniors in British Columbia.
Good Samaritan welcomed the Delta View Care Centre to the family in 2018.
Continued Growth and Redevelopment
The remainder of the decade (and beyond) continued to be a period of rapid growth for Good Samaritan, with the opening of several new care homes across both Alberta and British Columbia. In 2005, Good Samaritan West Highland Centre & Estates in Lethbridge and Good Samaritan Hillside Village in Salmon Arm were inaugurated. 2006 saw the addition of Good Samaritan Garden Vista in Magrath, Good Samaritan Pioneer Lodge in Salmon Arm, Good Samaritan Christenson Village in Gibsons, and expansions for Good Samaritan Stony Plain Care Centre and Good Samaritan Mountainview Village. By 2007, expansions at Good Samaritan Park Meadows Village were completed, and in 2008, Good Samaritan Good Shepherd Home in Wetaskawin and Good Samaritan Victoria Heights in New Westminster opened their doors.
Good Samaritan expanded further in 2009 with the opening of Good Samaritan Prairie Ridge in Raymond. The next two years saw significant redevelopments and new facility openings, including the 2011 redevelopment of Good Samaritan Stony Plain Care Centre and the opening of Good Samaritan Lee Crest Village in Cardston and Good Samaritan Linden View in Taber.
In 2016, the Seniors Clinic moved to a modernized space at Good Samaritan’s Edmonton head office. This move allowed for a more efficient and comfortable experience for the seniors it served, ensuring that their care needs were met in a state-of-the-art facility. In 2018, Good Samaritan acquired the Delta View Care Centre, further expanding its reach and capacity to provide quality care services to more seniors.
Good Samaritan’s Healthcare Heroes from the 2020-2021 Report to the Community.
Rising to the Challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s saw unprecedented challenges for the entire continuing care sector, and Good Samaritan was forced to face these challenges head-on. While we experienced necessary trials, our dedicated teams soldiered on through outbreaks, vaccinations, and other health protocols to ensure the people living in our care homes remained safe and healthy. With unwavering optimism, we remained vigilant in the face of further outbreaks as COVID-19 became a regular part of our public health routines. The pandemic repeatedly demonstrated how Good Samaritan communities helped and supported one another and the people in our care. Today, we remain immensely proud of our courage, strength, and perseverance over the last four years.
Good Samaritan President and CEO Dr. Katherine Chubbs at the groundbreaking for Good Samaritan’s new Continuing Care Village in West Edmonton.
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New Leadership and Directions
Late in 2020, Dr. Katherine Chubbs joined the organization as President and CEO. She brought energy and vitality to the role with some significant new directions. Dr. Chubbs implemented an evidence-based organizational design framework that ensures the right people serve in the right capacity.
As an Indigenous health leader, Dr. Chubbs saw equity, diversity, inclusion and Reconciliation as critical areas for future planning. For the first time in 2021, Good Samaritan celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorated the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and mandated Indigenous Cultural competency training for all staff. In 2023, the Canadian College of Health Leaders presented Good Samaritan with a national award for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism work.
Following the pandemic, in 2022 we relaunched our fundraising with the Edmonton and Lethbridge golf tournaments. The summer of 2023 in Western Canada was one of the hottest and driest on record. It resulted in more intense wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia than previously experienced, impacting residents and staff in several care homes. Pembina Village in Evansburg faced evacuation in early May to temporary stays in our care homes in Edmonton. In August, Interior BC faced a similar situation. The devastating fires in the Okanagan Valley did not require BC care homes to evacuate, but we were ready to take evacuees from other providers into fire zones. Fortunately, that was not needed.
Looking Ahead
Good Samaritan received some very welcome news from Alberta Budget 2023. After much advocacy, the provincial government announced a significant capital grant for a new 280-bed care home in west Edmonton. Our new continuing care village will be a showpiece for our small-home model—a collection of 20 homes, each with 14 residents residing in private rooms, promoting personalized living environments. We are poised to break ground and open late in 2027.
As we turn the page to the next chapter of the Good Samaritan story, we remember our past, celebrate our present and envision our future. We honour our founders and the many volunteers and dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly to write our story of compassion and care.
