Sick children entering the paediatric ward at University Hospital of Northern B.C. are bound to feel they are among friends.
They'll see smiling bears with a honey pot, busy beaver, friendly fawn, birds and butterflies and overhead, blue skies and happy little clouds, all gracing the new entrance way unveiled Monday during a renaming event.
The pediatric ward was officially renamed the Northland Dodge Paediatric Ward to recognize a $1 million contribution to improve health care by the local Northland Dodge dealership management, staff and customers.
Northland Dodge owner, Brent Marshall was overwhelmed by the tribute.
"I'm still in shock," said Marshall, who was told about a month ago to be at the event that honoured his company's five year commitment to donate money from every vehicle sold.
"I can hardly believe it's five years already. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time," said Marshall, whose company still finds the time and money for other community causes like a recent $50,000 donation to breast cancer research and delivering two truck loads of food to the Salvation Army food bank this week.
Kevin Falcon, BC Health services minister, said the "generous donation will have a great impact on the quality of care children receive at UHNBC."
The money will go a long way to making families feel comfortable in an environment that is unfamiliar and sometimes intimidating, Falcon said.
Northland's funds have provided delivery room beds and infant warmers in maternity, patient beds and furniture for paediatric rooms, and a wireless communication system used in maternity, neonatal intensive care unit, and the children's ward.
The renaming event, which included new entrance signage and a plaque recognizing Northland Dodge, follows the opening of a paediatric deck and library earlier this year to help make hospital stays more enjoyable.
The new paediatric ward was officially opened in 2007 as part of the hospital's Maternal Child Centre of Excellence project costing $12.5 million including the $5 million paediatric ward.
Funding included $5.7 million by the province, $4.8 million by Fraser-Fort Georg Regional Hospital District and $2 million by Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
