Leisure Island, on Lake of the Woods, has been an important part of so many lives across generations. With 13 residences and 11 families, there’s always something happening, including the very popular ‘Leisure Days’; an annual gathering on the island with games and activities for both kids and adults.
Now, current residents have one more way to celebrate the island’s special place in their hearts – by uniting to make a $2,750 donation to the Beyond The Scan Campaign at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital. Over the years, the Hospital has played a role as a place of support and reassurance, and residents were keen to champion community-funded healthcare close to home.
Thanks to this donation, along with many others from our community, in a few short months, the Lake of the Woods District Hospital will open the new Diagnostic Imaging Centre of Excellence — featuring Kenora’s first MRI, a state-of-the-art Mammography Unit, and, in the year ahead, a new CT Scanner. These investments, along with hospital-wide advancements, will elevate care across every department.
Here are a few stories that share the history, connection, and a deep sense of place, at Leisure Island.
“I had my first birthday on what was then the MLA island, in 1932, and spent all my summers there as a child. When the MLA island became Leisure Island, my husband Mac and I bought property there where I have spent my summers since 1969. Our daughter and sons also grew up spending summers there, taking swimming and sailing lessons on the lake and our grandchildren have all spent summer holidays with us. Now our sons have their own places nearby.
We have often needed to visit the Lake of the Woods Hospital, usually for minor injuries but several times for more urgent care. It has been, and is, reassuring to have the hospital so near and so accessible. Having good diagnostic equipment is critical, and we are glad we can support the purchases proposed.”
– Beverley Watts
“I’ve been coming to the Kenora area for over 70 years. My parents had a cottage down Rush Bay Road. When I married we bought on Leisure Island and both of our children grew up coming to the lake every summer. Now our grandchildren are coming and enjoying it. We have used the hospital a few times and are so pleased to help with more equipment.”
– Barb Brako
“The O’Hara family has been holidaying at Lake of the Woods since 1958 and my Dad bought our cottage on Coney in 1963 when we lived in Winnipeg. He was transferred to Calgary in 1964, but our family still came for the whole summer every year after that.
My brothers and I ended up needing to visit the emerge fairly frequently and when my kids were little my friends and I used to rate the summer on the number of emergency visits we had.
I think I hold the record for the quickest visit to the hospital. One year Chris and I arrived with another family from Calgary and had just tied up the boat and started to unload and open the cottage. Brady’s buddy sliced his foot open and needed stitches about 5 minutes after we arrived, so off I went with them in the tin boat to emerge and when I got back 3 or 4 hours later, everything was unloaded, carried up the hill, and the cottage was wide open!!
I thought it was quite funny, missing all the work!!”
– Maureen O’Hara-Leman