HAGERSVILLE—The Hagersville Firefighters Association has officially issued a challenge to all firefighters, police, and paramedics in Haldimand and Norfolk counties to see how much they can raise for the Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice (NHCH).
It was a hefty – but friendly – gauntlet that association members threw down the evening of August 5, 2025, as they gathered at Station 2 Hagersville to present a cheque for $15,000.
Association President Carl Forrest said they’re not expecting the other fire stations and first responders to be able to match their donation, but they’re hoping this will help encourage the other groups to consider the hospice when selecting a recipient for their own fundraising efforts.
“Anything that they can donate would be great for the hospice,” he said.
Forrest noted that while this is one of the larger donations the association has given out, they also support other community organizations, including West Haldimand Hospital and Healthcare Foundation, Hagersville Food Bank, minor sports, etc.
The association chose the hospice for a larger gift because “just having something like this in the community, with the comfortable end of life care, is important,” Forrest said. “I’m sure somebody on this department has had to deal with this, with their family members.”
He said it’s also possible that the members themselves might need to access the hospice in the future.
“Hopefully not, knock on wood,” he said. “But if we do someday, this is something great for our community.”
Andrea Binkle, Executive Director of NHCH, said the donation “takes my breath away. It’s so rewarding to have the community support, having the firefighters believe in what we’re doing and helping support the individuals across the two counties.”
When asked what she thought about the challenge aspect of the donation, Binkle said, “I think it’ll be great.” She added with a laugh, “First responders are naturally a little bit competitive.”
She noted that the organization is currently raising money to construct a residential hospice and palliative care centre in Jarvis; in the meantime, it’s also offering a variety of programs and services for those who are experiencing grief and bereavement – whether as the person at the end-of-life stage, or their loved ones.
She recounted how one of the organization’s counsellors was recently in a home working with a person who was actively dying; their spouse and two children were in the room as well.
“The counsellor was actually helping all four of them at the same time,” Binkle said. “It really is rewarding to have us give back now, instead of waiting until we actually have bricks and mortar.”
Supporters in the counties have been eagerly anticipating that build.
“At this point in time, we do have an architect hired and drawings are done,” Binkle said, adding that the architectural illustrations will be released to the public soon.
“We’re working with Haldimand County with our permits and rezoning of the property. Once that’s done, then the property can be transferred into our hands, and we can start putting shovels in the ground. The hope is that we would be doing something before the snow flies this year – even just putting a sign up on the property – and then the actual construction will begin in the new year,” likely the spring, she said. It’s anticipated the work will take between 18 to 24 months to complete.
The new hospice will have 10 beds.
“The government has agreed that they will support operations for four beds right now for us, but by the time we actually open, I’m really hoping it will be either six or eight beds,” Binkle said.
With 10 beds, the operating cost will run about $2 million annually. The government has indicated that it will supply about 40% of that cost, with the rest being made up through donations, grants, etc. This means that even after the building is done, there will still be a need for the community’s ongoing support.
The decision to build for 10 beds right from the start was because “we’re building for the future; not just for today,” Binkle said.
For more information on NHCH, its programs and services, or to make a donation, visit norfolkhaldimandhospice.ca.
