50 years of community commitment to providing elder care
refreshments as the local community came together to celebrate the Home’s 50th Anniversary. Over 75 community members gathered to mark this special occasion.
Originally, St. Paul’s was the private home of the Honourable Byron Hunt, a local businessman who was also a Member of Parliament from 1904–1911, and
again from 1917–1925. One of his sons, Arthur Hunt, became the Mayor of Bury from 1931–1949. After his parents’ death, Arthur and his wife moved into the house that is now known as St. Paul’s Rest Home. The building was later acquired by a group of Bury citizens, who were also members of the St. Paul’s Anglican Church in town, and who subsequently converted it into a care home for the elderly. The first Matron of the Home was Mrs. Winnie Buchanan. She and her husband, Wilbert, who looked after the gardens and maintenance, were hired by the community management committee to live in and run the Home. In 1967, during the tenure of the Buchanans, the Home attained its official status as a private non-profit incorporated legal entity.
According to Marilyn Salter, President of the Board of Directors, “The vision of elder care at St. Paul’s has always been to provide a home-like atmosphere for our residents. The residents are seen as the ‘proprietors’ of the Home; Board members, staff, and volunteers are ‘guests’ within the Home. Ongoing efforts are made to ensure that the Home does not become ‘institutionalized’ in its structure or its practices. It is critical for the well-being of our residents to provide them with an atmosphere of comfort, security, and care that is as close to being in their own home as possible.”
Salter further explained that, “The Home is unique in its organizational structure. While it is an incorporated business, it is also a private, not-forprofit organization managed and operated by a volunteer board of directors. It is a viable undertaking due to the efforts and contribution of many members of the local community. Volunteers range from those sitting on the Board of Directors and the Corporation, to those helping with fundraising and social activities, planting flowers and providing entertainment for residents. While many organizations benefit from the efforts of volunteers, it is rare that an organization has the ongoing commitment of volunteers that St. Paul’s has enjoyed for more than half a century. Financially, St. Paul’s has also been fortunate to receive generous support from the former Sherbrooke Hospital Foundation, the Robinson Residence for Retired Teachers in Quebec, as well as many private donors through our annual financial campaign.”
“It is our residents, who have been and continue to be the reason for all of our efforts” stated Don Parsons, a former member of the Board. “The fact that the St. Paul’s Home as an organization has continued to achieve its mission for over 50 years is an accomplishment that the entire community can and should take pride in. The often-used expression that ‘it takes a village…’ definitely applies. That St. Paul’s exists, and continues to thrive is the result of the hard work and dedication of its community.”
St. Paul’s Rest Home of Bury is a government certified care facility.
Anyone wanting to learn more about it can visit our website at: http://www.stpaulsresthome.org/
Or inquire by tel.: 819-872-3356.