Sarah Milner wants the new Central Lambton Family Health Team building to be a place of “comfort, healing and hope.”

The executive director of the new Englehart Health Park was one of over 300 people who filled the new building for the opening Oct. 29. The health team moved into the building earlier in the month and wanted to let the public get a look at the facility.

“I think of all the new babies parents will bring her, children who hill have sore throats dealt with…diseases that will be healed here… I think of the miracles big and small that will happen inside of these walls,” she told the crowd. “We want this to be a place of comfort, healing and hope.”

Mary-Pat Gleeson, who chairs the Health Team Board of Directors, echoed Milner’s hopes joking “I haven’t been this proud since I learned to tie my shoelaces!”

There was praise from Petrolia Mayor John McCharles for Gleeson and the board who, when local doctors went to Lambton County politicians saying the medical system was at a breaking point, got to work on the concept which is now seen as a model of rural health care.

“It’s been a massive team effort,” added Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Don McGugan who is a member of the board along with other mayors from the community it serves. About two-thirds of the people in Brooke-Alvinston access health care in Petrolia.

McGugan also pointed to Drs. John Butler and Enoch Daniels for getting the ball rolling and the town of Petrolia for its leadership. “This is a million dollar piece of property and they gave it to us…The cooperation on all levels of government was just great.”

Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Lonny Napper agreed. “I’ve never saw so many people who checked their ego at the door to get things done…it was great to see the three municipalities working together.

“I thought we were going to loose Dr. Butler (because of the critical problems),” says Napper “thanks for pushing us to this John.”