The Accueil Notre Dame retirement home sits across from the beautiful Magog library and has been in operation since 1986 when it was run by a local nun, Sister Hélène.
“She was the one who started it,” said the president of the home, Maurice Rancourt, “we only had six rooms and nine beds back then.”
He added that the first ever expansion was thanks to a donation by a local doctor, who sold his building to them for just $1, but that the cost of moving it beside the original home was very expensive.
Since then, the building has expanded into four wings with 81 units available for rent, of which 37 are occupied currently.
The home is a non-profit organization that’s seen more than $2 million in investments by the Magog community, as well as many volunteer hours.
Before the pandemic, the organization had balanced financial results, Rancourt said, but that recently they’ve run into challenging times, and are looking for as much support as they can get.
Their numbers dipped from 55 residents down to 29 during Covid, resulting in part due to the virus, but also the loss of a contract with the Center intégré Universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Estrie (CIUSSS).
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Magog retirement home seeks support following pandemic hardships
By Aiden Wilson, Special to The Record
