A sod-turning ceremony was held on May 28 at the construction site of the new long-term care and health care facility in Arichat, marking a major milestone for the community.

Following the ceremony, a reception was held at St. Anne Community and Nursing Care Centre, featuring speeches from key figures involved in the project, including St. Anne CEO Lynn LeBlanc, Board Chair Margaret Ann Landry, Richmond MLA and Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau, and Leon Benoit, Senior Project Manager with Colliers Project Leaders.

LeBlanc shared the emotional impact of seeing the project physically take shape.

“When you’re driving by and you look and think, ‘Wow, that’s pretty amazing,’ but when you’re down there among the people who put all that hard work into it, it’s kind of surreal,” LeBlanc said. “For us, this has been a three-year, three-month, and a few days journey. This was proposed to us several years back and had to be ready to go.”

Landry described the journey toward a new facility as “very exciting.”

“It’s written all over my face how excited we are to be here,” she said. “At first, we found out we were getting a new build—it had been posted on a list by one government, and then there was a new government. It was a little scary at first, but it’s all good.”

Landry also noted that her time on the board is coming to a close.

“On behalf of the board, I want to thank all those who helped us and guided us through this journey,” she said. “But more importantly, I want to thank our CEO, Lynn. She’s had a lot on her plate. This project was very exciting, but it really added to her workload—and she’s taken it like a trooper.”

After the formal remarks, Civic Journalist Jake Boudrot spoke with LeBlanc, Boudreau, Benoit, and Richmond Warden Lois Landry to gather their reflections on this significant step forward for health care in the region.