Opening Ceremony – Hospice Wellington

Ted Arnott attended the June 24, 2010 opening ceremony for the new Hospice
Wellington. He delivered the following remarks:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

It is indeed a real honour for me to be here with you this morning, along with my
colleague in the Legislature, Liz Sandals.

And last night, I spoke with the Warden of Wellington County, Joanne Ross-Zuj, who
asked me to pass along her best wishes and those of County Council, to all of you here.

Wellington County Council is meeting this morning, which of course means that none of
their members could be here. However, their support of Hospice Wellington is wellknown
to all of you, including a direct contribution of $400,000 they made last year, that
I understand couldn’t have come at a better time.

County Council and staff know we are grateful for their role in bringing us here today.
But it is also true that no single organization is solely responsible for ensuring that what
is done here—compassionate end-of-life care continues for those families who need it
and who will need it in the future.

It falls to all of us, for all families at some point must face this most harsh reality: to live
means that, someday, we must confront our mortality.

This is why the community partnerships which support Hospice Wellington are so vital
and why they are so strong.

And it is that spirit of partnership which has the potential to strengthen our communities
even more so than they are today. This is why we should seek to work together.

So we thank all who have been involved in Hospice since its inception in 1980, all who
recognized the need, all who volunteered their talents and efforts, all who helped make
this dream a reality.

And a special thank you is extended to Chair Jim Mackenzie and the other members of
the Board, as well as Rosslyn Bentley and the rest of the staff, who are charged with
their important mission here at Hospice Wellington, in this beautiful building. We also
thank the volunteers and those who’ve donated.

I must conclude.

My favourite singer-songwriter is Paul McCartney. His most recent studio album
includes a song with a simple lyric, reflecting his realization of his own mortality as he
ages, and echoing his Christian upbringing in Liverpool, England: