Eastern Health - Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

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Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

Video Tour:

Contact Information:

(709) 777-6555

90 Forest Road
St. John’s, NL A1A 0C4

Visiting Hours:

11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Children all ages welcome, children under 12 must be supervised

Level of Care:
Three units:

Sergeant Tommy Ricketts, VC Place and General Rick Hillier Place on VP2, 2nd floor, with 21 beds.
Sir Winston Churchill Wing, a specialized dementia care unit on VP2 South, 2nd floor (an extension of VP2) with 14 private rooms.
VP3, 3rd floor, with 21 beds.

Number of Beds:
56

Parking:
Free visitors parking in front of the building; parking is available in overflow at the bottom of the lot.

History:
The Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion was originally constructed as an annex to the General Hospital in 1961 through a partnership with the Government of Canada, Department of Veterans Affairs and the General Hospital Corporation, to provide various levels of care for veterans. When the Health Science Centre opened in 1978, the location was renamed to the Dr. L.A.Miller Centre and the pavilion became a long-term care facility.

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) funded extensive upgrades in 1993 that took a year to complete. The pavilion re-opened in 1994 with ceremonies proudly held in the atrium, where veterans, families and friends continue to be inspired by the Remembrance Peace Window. Designed by Peter Breckon, using mouth-blown, hand made antique glass, the Remembrance Peace Window depicts the services of Newfoundlanders on sea, land and in the air in “The Home Front”, “The Blue Puttees”, “Gallipoli,” “The Danger Tree”, “Korea”, “Normandy”, “Monte Casino”, “Seven Seas” and “St. John’s.”

Last Post Services for deceased veterans in the community of the pavilion are held at the Alter of Remembrance in the atrium. Services of Remembrance are held on July 1 and November 11 each year to commemorate the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who sacrifice, served and continue to serve our country.

The veterans have been honored through the years with visits from royalty, as well as annual visits from the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Premier of the Province and federal ministers in the spectacular atrium of the pavilion.

In 2002, VAC funded the addition of a large recreation space, the Caribou Sunroom. In 2006, VAC approved renovations to existing dining and communal areas to create two beautiful dining rooms, the Mug-up and Red’s Kitchen, which overlook the atrium and Remembrance Peace Window as well as the addition of family rooms on VP2 and VP3. 2009 saw the opening of the Sir Winston Churchill Wing, an addition to the second floor of the building. This unit is an evidence-based design, created to soothe and provide the best environment possible for veterans with dementia-type illnesses. The addition of the 14 beds in the new wing allowed us to provide all veterans in the pavilion with private or semi-private rooms. Veterans living in Sir Winston Churchill Wing enjoy their meals and much of their days in the Blue Puttee Café, where floor to ceiling glass provides a panoramic view of the east end of the city.

VAC and Eastern Health continue to partner to provide 24-hour resident-centered care in an interdisciplinary model. Our goal is to facilitate optimal independence and choice in as home-like a setting as is possible.

The Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion has the additional benefit of the support of the Royal Canadian Legion (RCL). The Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion Legion Action Committee, chaired by a legion member, includes representatives of Eastern Health, VAC and many branches of the legion. This group ensures all needs of the veterans are met and often obtains funding for many extras, such as barbeques, patio furniture and large screen televisions, to enhance the daily lives of our residents. A recent survey, contracted by VAC and completed by RCL, showed a 100 percent satisfaction rate for all aspects of care and environment and a 95 percent satisfaction rate with the food.

In 2016, admission criteria for the Pavilion was expanded to include provincial Level 3 admissions.

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Updated Nov 20, 2017

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