Menno Home unveils new addition

The ribbon has been cut, officially opening a brand-new sunroom at Menno Home in Grunthal.

Last June, Chief Executive Officer Dave Claringbould announced that the personal care home was the recipient of a $228,195 grant through the provincial government's Building Sustainable Communities program. This enabled Menno Home to move forward with construction of the sunroom.

The sunroom was built in the courtyard behind Menno Home. Claringbould says the courtyard was redone in 2018 and space was set aside to build the sunroom. The structure is connected to Menno Home so that it can be used year-round. It is also accessible from the outside.

Claringbould says for many years they have been looking for ways to create more space for Menno Home. He adds the idea of a four-season sunroom came up several years ago and now it is a reality. On Thursday, the community came together to celebrate the new build.

"We can celebrate after six years of trying to get it built, we finally have a sunroom," says Claringbould, noting the construction of the addition was also financed through fundraising and donations. "It's just great to see what we are able to achieve from that."

According to Claringbould, the response from the public towards the sunroom has been very positive, noting it benefits not only their residents but the community as well.

"This is great for the elders because it's a quieter place for somebody who needs that smaller space," he explains. "It also gives us a great extra space for families to meet with their loved ones, community, and friends to come in."

Claringbould says there is a lot of community involvement at Menno Home, whether it is the ladies auxiliary or local churches and the sunroom provides additional space to utilize.

He refers to the feel of the new sunroom as "very woodsy." By that, he is referencing the timber frame design.

"We wanted something very earthy, very calming," he says. "It has a fantastic smell; everybody comments when they come in."

In addition to that, he notes the sunroom has been finished off with healthcare carpet; the same flooring used in airports. Claringbould adds there is a lot of space in the sunroom as many of their residents are in wheelchairs.

"The whole end is windows right up to the open ceiling," adds Claringbould. "And then all the way around we've got the windows because we wanted a naturally really bright space."

Claringbould says they wanted to create a calming destination space for their residents, who can enjoy the sunroom while also admiring the beautiful plants in the backyard. He adds it has so far been much busier than they had anticipated.

With files from Adi Loewen