“When we first came to the hospital I remember the fast and personal care given to [my husband] Herbert. It was as if he were the only patient they were concerned about. The staff was never in a rush to go somewhere else.”
Resi Nagler,
Community Volunteer
The real foundation of any hospital is the community it serves. Over the past 60+ years, VJH has touched the lives of thousands of people, each with a powerful story to tell. These stories of care are what the Tower of Care Campaign is really about.
We’re proud to share our stories and encourage you to share yours.
Tell us your story about the care you have received at VJH and we'll try to include it here. “The nurses were so sensitive, they were awesome… It was an emotional time, but the nursing staff made it very comfortable for me.” Rebekka Wicklund, New Mother
“The nurses were so sensitive, they were awesome… It was an emotional time, but the nursing staff made it very comfortable for me.”
Rebekka Wicklund,
New Mother
Philathropy At Work
Earlier this year, Kelowna resident Mr. Colin Pritchard contacted Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation to learn more about the planned expansion for Vernon Jubilee Hospital and the current Building a Tower of Care Campaign to equip the new Patient Care Tower. Recognizing the importance of this major improvement to health care in the North Okanagan, Colin, his wife Lois and their youngest daughter Alison Moscrop made a decision to make a major gift of $250,000 to the Hospital Foundation from their family foundation, The Lois and Colin Pritchard Foundation.
When the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation learned more about the Pritchard family it became very evident why they had made the decision that they did. Arthur Pritchard, Colin’s father, was born in Worcestershire England in January, 1904 and immigrated to Canada in 1912. The family settled and farmed in the Armstrong and Grindrod area of the North Okanagan. In his late 20's Arthur came to Vernon and stayed at the Colley House, a room and board facility in Vernon at that time, while he took business courses at a Vernon business school. In the early 1930's he took over the Stellarine Oil agency from his good friend, Ernie Rendall of the Coldstream. Stellarine Oil was subsequently taken over by the British American Oil Company (B-A Oil) and he was their agent in Vernon, servicing the North Okanagan until 1956. Shortly thereafter Arthur moved to the Coldstream and was elected municipal councillor from 1961 to 1963 and then Reeve from 1964 to 1966.
To further connect the dots, Colin Pritchard went on to share that his mother Angela Pritchard was born in Vernon in June, 1910. Her father, Charles Richards, had come over from England to manage a ranch known as the Learmouth Ranch in Lavington. She was home schooled until high school and then she and her 2 brothers and 2 sisters traveled into Vernon to high school by horse and buggy during the Spring and Fall, and by horse and cutter during the Winter. After Angela finished high school in Vernon, she entered the Vernon Jubilee Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1932 as an RN and worked a short time at the hospital until she married Arthur Pritchard.
Like his brother and two sisters, Colin Pritchard was born at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. He received his education in Vernon, graduating from Vernon High School in 1956. Quoting Mr. Pritchard, “I had an idyllic childhood. Vernon was the perfect place to live and be brought up.” Later, Colin went on to attend UBC where he graduated with Degrees in Commerce and in Law. Mr. Pritchard practiced law in Vancouver and Langley BC until he retired back in the Okanagan.
Remembering his upbringing, Colin Pritchard shared “I am honoured to be able to give something back to the community which was so good to both me and my family for three generations.” The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation has directed its gift in support of Cardiac Care in the new Patient Care Tower and will be naming that unit in honour of Colin Pritchard’s parents, Arthur and Angela Pritchard.
