Katie’s Cottage, located near Winkler, is a charitable residence that houses and supports family members who have loved ones seeking medical care at Boundary Trails Health Centre. Doors to the care residence, which embraces some aspects of Ronald McDonald House, opened in 2016 in memory of teenage founder Katie Reimer.
Katie’s mom, Ruth Reimer, runs the home and talks about the journey of establishing the organization. Years after her daughter’s death, the sadness in her voice is evident.
“It was out daughter’s dream,” she said with a pause. “In 2010, Kate was diagnosed with cancer. Through that she started her own charity. She worked on it through 2011, which really gave her a purpose to do what she needed to do … to focus on something other than herself.”
The idea to start Katie’s Cottage originated when Ruth had to return home to make a meal while Katie was in hospital.
“Katie said, ‘That’s so far away,’” Ruth explained. “I said it’s really not that far, but in her mind it was. When I left, she said to her dad, ‘You know, I’d really like to have a cottage or a house built here, so that people can stay here and be close to their loved ones.’ Then they drew a picture on a napkin that we now have framed.”
Ruth said that Katie wanted the project completed before she died. But the family decided prioritize her care.
“We promised to try to get it done for her,” Ruth explained. “We were able to. In 2014, Randy and I put a proposal together.”
In the end, Morden Nurseries and Garden Centre donated one acre of land to the Katie’s Cottage project.
“Now the wheels were in motion,” Ruth said. “Our family was quite thrilled that we could start the project. We moved the building on site on May 3, and we have been moving forward [ever since].”
Ruth said that 2015 was dedicated to finding money, not a small undertaking for the grieving family.
“We raised nearly $700,000,” she said. “And now we have 4,200 square feet with eight bedrooms. We’ve had guests from the Thompson area.”
Ruth explained that she has channelled a lot of time, energy and emotion into the project.
“Because we knew that there was a need,” she said. “Community support was huge. You look back now, I’ve put together a book of pictures of the project, and then it comes into focus of how much work we actually put into it. Not just the building, but getting the Canada Revenue Agency on board, and all the legal documents. Ronald McDonald House played a huge part by helping us get our constitution and bylaws together.”
Katie’s Cottage has become a de facto child for Ruth, who has transformed her sorrow into serving families in need.
“There was the infancy stage, and now she’s going to be four years old,” she explained. “The numbers are interesting. In 2018, we had 888 guests. In 2019, we had 947 rooms rented. This year my goal is 1,200. It’s not a number that can’t be reached. We serve a continental breakfast and have a beautiful lounge.”
