$2.5-million donation from Trottier Family Foundation to benefit services of West Island Palliative Care Residence

The West Island Palliative Care Residence Foundation is very pleased to announce that the Trottier Family Foundation has made a landmark donation of $2.5 million to support the provision high-quality, compassionate end-of-life services in the West Island of Montreal. The gift, the largest single donation to date to the Residence, is being made over a five-year period.

“We are extremely grateful to Lorne and Louise Trottier and the Trottier Family Foundation for this very generous gift for the well-being of our West Island community,” said Dale Weil, President of the Board of Directors of the West Island Palliative Care Residence Foundation. ”This gift is a very important contribution to the $3 million needed annually by the Residence from the community in order for us to continue to provide our high-quality end-of-life services.”

The Residence, which offers its services at no charge to patients or families, receives only about one-third of its funding from the Quebec government, relying on the generosity of companies and individuals in the community for balance.

“The Trottier Family Foundation is pleased to be able to support the very important work of the West Island Palliative Care Residence,” said Louise R Trottier, who also serves as a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of the Residence Foundation. “The Residence is a vital service to our community, helping patients and their families at a very difficult time by providing the compassion and care that we all need and hope for when death is at hand.”

The announcement is being made in conjunction with National Hospice Palliative Care Week which is being marked from May 4-10 this year. The week is intended to draw the attention of Canadians to the value of and great need for palliative care services to help Canadians with terminal illnesses to be able to live their last days to the fullest, as free of pain as possible and with comfort and dignity in the company of family and friends. At present only about 30 per cent of Canadians have access to dedicated palliative care facilities.