Who are the founders of La Maison de la Sérénité?
We want to thank the founders of La Maison who have devoted themselves and have multiplied their efforts for this residence:
COLETTE JULIEN, ARIANE RIOU, ROBERT HAYES and DR MARIE-FRANÇOISE MÉGIE
As well as significant donors who have invested in making this wonderful project possible:
JACQUES D’AMOURS, RÉAL PLOURDE, RICHARD FORTIN and ALAIN BOUCHARD
In 1999, a small group of people promoting the humanization of end-of-life care received the letters patent for a non-profit organization (NPO) aiming to create a palliative care residence in Laval.
Before undertaking various fundraising activities, the project's promoters carried out a needs analysis clearly showing the relevance of such a home in the Laval area. Members of the Board of Directors then visited other palliative care homes to confirm the project's feasibility and viability.
In 2004, the small group expanded and sought new support from influential business community members. A general manager was hired. He undertakes several activities to promote the project and obtain financial support from governments, the city, public and private organizations, and the general public. In September of that same year, a fundraiser took place to raise the necessary funds to build and operate the home during its first year.
In June 2006, aided by the generosity of our four major donors, the founding members acquired a magnificent lot on the Rivière des Prairies. The ground-breaking takes place in the summer of 2008, with construction spanning to the following year. Ten long years in the making, La Maison finally opens its doors to the public in the fall of 2009, before admitting its first patient on January 16, 2010.
On September 21, 2015, La Maison celebrated its 5-year anniversary. La Maison is proud of its unique path since its opening. However, its sustainability and its capacity to continue providing free care and services are dependent on the solidarity of everyone involved in this profoundly humane cause, as well as on the financial contribution and the great generosity of its donors.
On February 6, 2020, during the Intemporelle Benefit Evening, the board of directors announced that La Maison de Soins Palliatifs de Laval was changing its name and is now known as La Maison de la Sérénité.
We did not take this decision lightly. La Maison is attentive to the people surrounding it and wants this new name to evoke a sense of belonging for everyone.
Our key donors wished to give La Maison a more symbolic name and representative of the progress made in end-of-life care over the past ten years. For an indefinite period, La Maison de la Sérénité represents a place of calm that ensures a state of well-being for patients and families.
The corporate image of La Maison has been changed, but the essence of the logo and the ginkgo biloba symbol remains untouched.
We believe that the name change reflects the true essence of good and humanism that La Maison provides during these vulnerable moments.