Click above to watch a video from the Kenora community event, where the company continued celebrations of our 125th anniversary.
Perched on the shores of the vast Lake of the Woods, the town of Kenora is a popular summer destination. Thanks to the lake’s islands, channels and miles of shoreline with beaches, coves and inlets, Kenora is a paradise for freshwater fishing and outdoor recreation.
“This is a fun, vibrant, recreation-based outdoor natural resources community,” says David Graham, vice president of Canadian Timberlands. “It’s a great place to live, a great place to do business, and we just have fantastic people who live here.”
Mira Trebilcock, executive director of Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation, is one of Kenora’s 15,000 or so year-round residents. Having relocated to Kenora a few years ago with her family, Mira says she’s inspired by how people support each other.
“The presence and passion for the community is tremendous,” Mira says. “Whether it’s for the Hospital Foundation, other charities, local initiatives, or hockey leagues, everyone comes together to provide support. It’s very unique and it creates a sense of belonging.”
One particular effort the community and Weyerhaeuser recently rallied around was to bring Kenora’s first-ever MRI machine to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital, along with a new CT scanner and advanced mammography equipment. Weyerhaeuser donated more than $125,000 through our Giving Fund to help fund the equipment, eliminating the community’s need to travel several hours for necessary diagnostic scans.
In a remote and rural region, the hospital is the first source of care for the community, which becomes especially important when the town’s population swells to around 75,000 in the summer. The hospital also provides care to residents of surrounding communities, with patients often arriving by boat to the hospital’s dock.
“It’s a regional hub for First Nations and smaller communities who use Kenora as their main hospital,” says Matt Wilkie, forest strategy leader, who’s worked for Weyerhaeuser in Kenora for more than 20 years. “It’s going to be a game changer to have MRI and other services here.”
On July 10, Matt joined Joanne Love, administrative assistant at our TimberStrand® plant, her son Braydon Love, uncertified millwright, and other Weyerhaeuser volunteers staffing a sponsor booth at the Par 3 Charity Challenge. The annual 18-hole golf tournament raises funds for vital capital medical equipment at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital. The day is a high-energy event that brings together local businesses, sponsors and enthusiastic golfers and volunteers with the shared purpose of ensuring the hospital has the tools and technology to deliver exceptional care close to home.
“It’s important that everyone has access to good healthcare,” Joanne says. “We want the best for everyone in this community. We want everyone to thrive; we want everyone to do well.”
When not working at Weyerhaeuser, Joanne works part time at the hospital, a job she began during the pandemic.
“Weyerhaeuser has been a great partner for nearly 20 years,” Mira says. “The people are really what make Kenora unique and special, and the community that it is. I’ve met a lot of people who grew up here and come back; it’s about community, pride and togetherness.”
A team from Weyerhaeuser was on hand to help capture the festivities as part of our 125th anniversary celebrations this year, and you can check out the video above and photos below to learn more about Kenora!
