Caring for the People Who Care for Us: Honouring Karen Booth and Jon Huyer’s Support of Canmore General Hospital
Strong health care in Canmore doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s made possible by generous supporters like you who believe Bow Valley residents deserve excellent care close to home.
Your gifts help provide upgraded equipment and facilities, as well as critical programs that contribute to patients. Most importantly, you recognize that it is the staff at the Canmore General Hospital who are the heartbeat of local care, and you generously support their needs too.
It’s in this spirit that the Doctors’ Sleep Room renovation has become one of the most meaningful projects currently underway at Canmore General Hospital.
Why a Doctor’s Sleep Room Matters
Physicians work demanding schedules that include overnight and on-call shifts. From head injuries or frostbite to high fevers or chest pains, physicians need to be alert and at their best to respond to these urgent cases.
Between those moments, rest is not a perk. It's a safety measure.
A functional, private, and calming sleep space helps physicians recover between calls, reduce stress, and stay sharp during long hours. It supports decision-making, well-being, and sustainability for the physicians who provide care to our community at all hours.
The Canmore Hospital’s existing Doctors’ Sleep Lounge is in need of an upgrade to reflect the importance of the work being done by on-call physicians and related staff. Alberta Health Services has identified a clear scope for updates to the main room and washroom.
A Major Gift with Lasting Impact
The Canmore Hospital Foundation is deeply grateful to share that long-time supporters Karen Booth and Jon Huyer have made a major contribution of $170,000 toward the Doctors’ Sleep Room renovation, helping to bring this project to life in a meaningful and transformative way.
“We are very pleased to be able to fund the physician’s sleep room,” said Jon. “The project is an expression of our gratitude for our dedicated front-line health care professionals, who make themselves available at all hours of the day or night. Our contribution is a way to let the physicians know that they are highly valued and appreciated. Working with the Canmore Hospital Foundation has been a wonderful experience for us, and we look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come.”
This renovation is estimated at approximately $200,000 in total project cost, according to Alberta Health Services.
The Foundation is also grateful to recognize Judy and Herman Cooper, whose additional $20,000 contribution helped complete the funding needed to move the project forward.
Doctor Mike Wickham, Emergency Medicine Physician, shared what this news means from the physician's perspective.
“That is great news! Extremely generous of Karen and Jon. Will be so nice not to have to sleep in a patient stretcher! It's something that every physician will benefit from as we all do night shifts!”
What This Renovation Will Change
This project is more than an upgraded room. It's a tangible way of telling physicians, “We see you.”
When on-call physicians have a quiet, private space designed for rest, it changes the overnight work experience. It supports recovery between calls and reduces the strain that accumulates over time when rest is limited, disrupted, or uncomfortable. In health care, where long shifts and high-stakes decisions are part of the job, that kind of support matters.
The planned upgrades reflect that intention. The renovation scope includes improvements that make the space more functional, more comfortable, and more conducive to rest, including new millwork and sink areas, lighting upgrades, added electrical capacity, window coverings and blackout blinds, wall protection, and repairs throughout both the main room and the washroom, including shower fixture upgrades.
Importantly, this is a space that every physician working a night shift will benefit from, not just today, but for years to come. It's a project that supports recruitment and retention, contributes to staff wellbeing, and reinforces a culture where care teams feel valued by the community they serve.
Built on Years of Thoughtful Support
Karen and Jon’s support for Canmore General Hospital has been significant and ongoing. Their generosity reflects a long-standing commitment to strengthening local health care, with a focus not only on what the hospital needs but also on what the people inside the hospital need to keep delivering excellence and compassion.
In addition to their leadership support for the Doctors’ Sleep Room renovation, Karen and Jon have given $50,000 to the surgical staff rooms, further underscoring their commitment to the teams behind the care. These are just a few examples of their unwavering generosity in support of local health care.
Their approach to giving has always been thoughtful, practical, and impact-driven, grounded in a clear understanding that supporting staff is one of the most direct ways to strengthen patient care.
A Space for Calm, Recovery, and Gratitude
As the project progresses, the Foundation looks forward to sharing more about the space, including a future naming announcement. What will remain constant is the purpose: creating a restorative place that reflects the value of our physicians and the importance of ensuring they have what they need to care for the Bow Valley, day and night.
The Canmore Hospital Foundation extends heartfelt thanks to Karen Booth and Jon Huyer for their remarkable generosity, and to Judy and Herman Cooper for helping bring this project across the finish line. Gifts like these are not only investments in a hospital space, they are investments in people, in sustainability, and in the future of care in Canmore.
Because when we look after the people who look after us, we strengthen the well-being of the entire community.
Note: the images below depict the space that is set to be renovated. The renovation has not yet begun.
