The History of Medical and Social Services in Northrbook and the Founding of Pine Meadow Nursing Home

Jeff Green | Nov 23, 2023

Marg Axford has been a community activist for a long time, and she brought some of her memories to a meeting of the Cloyne and District Historical Society (CDHS) this past Monday at the Barrie Halle in Cloyne.

As part of the monthly meeting of the CDHS, Axford provided a brief history of the  formation of three crucial services  based in Northbrook that serve the residents of Addington Highlands and the western part of North Frontenac.

In the early 1970's, there was very little in the way of medical services, and no social or senior services to speak of, for the population along the Highway 41 corridor north of Highway 7.

Axford was involved in the first doctor recruitment campaign. A local committee was formed and they managed to convince provincial officials that there was a need in the region for a doctor.

“We all knew there was a need, but we had to convince officials from outside the area that there was a need,” Axford recalled.

 $68,000 over three years was put up as an incentive, and a 40' x 60' building was secured. A medical service with Doctor Richard Milne, Nurse Practitioner Trish Button and receptionist Helen Yanch were the first medical team in the area.

In 1976 Land O'lakes Community Services (LOLCA) was incorporated, with a mandate to provide medical, dental, pharmaceutical, social and extended healthcare.

“Finally there was an official structure to which social, mental and medical concerns could be referred.”

In June of 1979, a medical centre, 40' x 60' was constructed in Northbrook, and a system of termporary doctors remained in place until 1984, when Dr. Tobia was hired.

Also late in the 1970's Anabelle Stewart, a retired social worker, started a project to look at living conditions in the area, and she did it by travelling from house to house on the back roads, knocking on doors and interviewing whoever would talk to her.

In 1983, a social worker and an adult protective services worker (to worker with developmentally disable adults) were hired by LOLCS, and a Safe Homes Program to address issues arising from domestic abuse, was set up. A community mental health and a palliative care program were begun. A Christmas exchange and breakfast with Santa were established.

One thing that was still missing was a long term care facility. Seniors who could no longer live at home were shipped off to other communities.

Between 1982 and 1988, a series of presentations were made to officials at the Ministry of Health. In 1988 the ministry finally said they were open to the idea and the group was invited to submit an application, but how long it would take for an answer was anyone's guess.

Marg Axford recalled that sometime after that she was in Toronto with her husband, Ian Brummell, and they passed by the headquarters of the Ministry of Health, and “he said why don't you stop in, why don't you stop in.”

“Well, I was the driver,” said Brummell from across the room.

“I went in and somehow found the office of a man who showed me a pile of applications in Manilla envelopes on a desk. Your application is somewhere in that pile,” he said. “We looked through the pile and sure enough, there was our application, about 2/3 of the way down. I knew that an application that was that far down was going to take forever to be reviewed. I asked him if we could do something about that, and he said sure, and moved the envelope to the top of the pile. Instead of waiting a few years for approval, we only had to wait a few months, so any time you go into Pine Meadow, you can thank that man for having the audacity to move the envelope.

When Pine Meadow was approved in 1990, there was a condition, the local community had to raise $1.2 million, over 5 years, to help cover the costs.

“What that meant as far as the community was concerned was a heck of a lot of work.”

There was naming contest for the home, and the winner was a grade 6 student, Colleen Hayes, who lived across from the home. The area is covered in Pine trees, and it is a low piece of land, so Pine Meadow made sense.

A committee of 8 people was appointed to oversee the 60 bed home, which was, and still is, owned by LOLCS.

The first residents of the home were Colbert Lessard of Flinton, Geraldine Pickett of Arden, and Anne Perry of Northbrook (Colbert and Anne were brother and sister) Within 3 months all 60 beds were filled. 60 people were working at Pine Meadow in various capacities, making it a major employer in the region.

Many local volunteers  were involved in the development of the home,  Axford said,  from the fundraising, preconstruciton, and construction phases, and throughout the years that the home has been in operation.

The home was renovated 10 years ago, and is now a Class A, 64 bed home, and the public effort in support of the renovation was extensive as well.

Editors note - Axford's own role in bringing services to the community, as well as in the establishment and operation of the Pioneer Museum, and that of her husband, cannot be over-stated – she was described as a 'spitfire' by a member of the audience on Monday, an  apt metaphor)