Barrhead Healthcare Attraction & Retention Committee

07/10/2026

Did you know BARC is now BHARC?

That little H is doing some important work.

It stands for Healthcare — and it helps make the focus of the committee clearer.

BHARC is the Barrhead Healthcare Attraction and Retention Committee. The name reflects a local effort to support healthcare attraction, retention, and the broader work of helping Barrhead be seen as a strong rural healthcare community.

That work is about more than filling positions.

Healthcare professionals looking at a rural community are often looking at the whole picture. They may be asking what kind of work is possible here, what services are already in place, what opportunities could grow, and whether this is a community where they and their families could build a life.

That is why BHARC shares both healthcare stories and community stories.

The profiles help introduce the people already working here.

The community posts help show the place around that work — the schools, events, recreation, businesses, volunteer spirit, and everyday life that make Barrhead feel like Barrhead.

The H may be one letter.

But it points to something much bigger: healthcare, home, and the future we are working to support.

And yes — sometimes that means we get to blow our own horn a little.

Yay Barrhead. This is a community worth noticing.

07/03/2026

Summer in Barrhead has a way of making community visible.

Today, the Barrhead Community Garden is at Freson Bros. with a hot dog fundraiser, raffle tickets, volunteers at the tables, and people stopping by for lunch in the middle of a sunny Friday.

It’s a small moment, but it says a lot about life here. Local projects are supported by local people. Volunteers give their time. Businesses make room for community fundraisers. Neighbours stop by, visit, and help something good keep growing.

That’s part of why Barrhead feels like home. 🌭🌱☀️

07/02/2026

Why Barrhead? Healthcare Professional Profiles
Bill Knudsen — Life Close to Home

For Bill Knudsen, life in Barrhead comes with a few simple advantages that add up.

One of them is distance — or, more accurately, the lack of it.

As a former “City Boy,” Bill especially appreciates his short commute to work. In his words, it is a five-minute walk or “35 seconds by car.”

That detail says a lot about small-town life.

When work is close to home, there is more room in the day. More room for family, house projects, sports, camping, time outside, and the everyday pieces of life that can get squeezed out when a commute chokes the day.

For Bill, sports have always been part of that fuller life.

He grew up enjoying all kinds of sports and being part of a team, but basketball is his real passion. Whether he is playing, coaching, refereeing, watching from the stands, or stepping into the role of parent “arm chair coach,” basketball has been one of the steady threads running through his life.

Outside of work, Bill’s life includes endless house projects, relaxing on the deck, camping with family and friends, and spending time with his dog, Marlo.

It is a life where work is close, home is close, and the pieces of the day have room to breathe.

That is part of what the Why Barrhead series continues to show.

Healthcare professionals are not only choosing a workplace. They are also choosing a place to live, spend time with family, join in, head outdoors, make memories, and feel at home.

For Bill, Barrhead offers that kind of balance — close to work, close to family, close to community, and close enough to home that the commute can still make him smile.

07/02/2026

Happy Canada Day, Barrhead! 🇨🇦

Today is for family, friends, neighbours, music, games, treats, familiar faces, and all the little moments that make a community feel like home.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day bright, including the organizers, volunteers, performers, vendors, community groups, businesses, and families who came out to celebrate.

Enjoy the rest of the day, Barrhead. These photos say the rest. ❤️🤍

06/30/2026

Why Barrhead? Healthcare Professional Profiles
Bill Knudsen — Connected Care at Keir Care

Keir Care has its own kind of buzz.

You can feel it in the day’s movement — a program beginning, a conversation picking up, someone joining in as a familiar story resurfaces, maybe laughter coming down the hall.

That is the kind of energy Bill Knudsen was describing when he said community support brings “much life” into Barrhead Continuing Care Centre. And the recreation team is a big part of how that happens.

For Bill, recreation in continuing care is about much more than filling a calendar. It is part of care itself. It helps residents keep moving, enjoy familiar activities, share stories, and participate in ways that feel meaningful to them.

Some of that happens through programs inside the building. Some of it comes through the people, places, memories, and community ties that remain close to residents in Barrhead.

Many residents have deep roots in town and throughout the surrounding area. They are neighbours, friends, family members, and familiar faces whose lives are woven into the community.

Every day, family and friends come through the doors. Volunteers offer their time and care. Musical groups, pastoral care, schools, community organizations, and dedicated individuals all help create the energy Bill sees around him.

That is a strength of rural healthcare. The community stays present, involved, and close. The care team carries that same closeness.

Bill shared that in a rural setting, healthcare workers often know each other both professionally and personally. When a resident needs support, it is easier to reach out to other professionals, ask for input, and work together toward solutions.

That kind of teamwork supports care in a steady, responsive way. Communication comes more naturally. Residents are known more personally. And the circle of support around them includes staff, families, volunteers, and community members who each bring something of value.

At Keir Care, daily care is shaped by programs, skill, teamwork, visits, music, stories, and the people who keep bringing something good through the doors.

That is the team, the care, and the connected community reflected in Bill’s story.

06/29/2026

Why Barrhead? Healthcare Professional Profiles --
Meet Bill Knudsen, Recreation Therapist at Barrhead Continuing Care Centre.

At our 100-bed continuing care facility, Bill works as part of a recreation team with a clear purpose: life enrichment for residents.

Through Therapeutic Recreation, Bill and the team use leisure and recreational program interventions to support residents’ physical, cognitive, and emotional needs.

It is practical work.

It is creative work.

And it is healthcare work with a strong focus on quality of life.

For Bill, Therapeutic Recreation is about meeting residents where they are and using programs that support their abilities, interests, and needs.

Over the course of his career, Bill has seen Therapeutic Recreation continue to grow and advance.

The profession now includes university degree programs, national certifications, advancements in Therapeutic Recreation equipment, and the growing use of new technology. These changes have created more options for supporting a wide variety of individuals, including those whose needs may once have been much harder to reach.

The field has also grown through education and skills training for specialized Therapy Assistants. Over the years, Bill has had the privilege of working with talented Therapy Assistants and serving as a preceptor for students entering the profession.

That experience gives Bill a front-row view of a field that continues to move forward while staying grounded in what he describes as “the continued goal of a career dedicated to improving the quality of life of others.”

As we continue our Why Barrhead healthcare professional profiles, we are pleased to introduce Bill Knudsen and the thoughtful Therapeutic Recreation work happening at Barrhead Continuing Care Centre.

06/26/2026

A strong healthcare community is built long before someone walks into their first shift.

It begins in classrooms, clinical placements, study sessions, mentorship, family support, community encouragement, and the steady belief that local students deserve to see a future for themselves in healthcare.

We are pleased to share this scholarship opportunity from the Barrhead Healthcare Centre Auxiliary.

The Dr. Bireswar Bose Nursing Scholarship supports Barrhead and area students continuing in LPN, RN, or NP nursing programs this fall. It is a practical investment in future nurses — and a beautiful reminder that healthcare attraction and retention begins with the people already growing here.

Scholarship awards are available for:

LPN — $2,000
RN — $3,000
NP — $5,000

Applications are due July 15.

If you are a Barrhead or area nursing student heading into another year of your program, we encourage you to apply.

Thank you to the Barrhead Healthcare Centre Auxiliary for continuing to champion future nurses and strengthen the future of local healthcare. 💚

🩺 Every nursing career starts with a first step.
For some students, that step is another year of classes, clinical placements, late-night studying, early mornings, and learning how to care for people with skill, confidence, and compassion.
The Dr. Bireswar Bose Nursing Scholarship helps support Barrhead and area nursing students as they continue their education and prepare for the future of healthcare.
If you are moving into another year of your LPN, RN, or NP program this fall, we encourage you to apply.
💰 Scholarship Awards:
• LPN — $2,000
• RN — $3,000
• NP — $5,000
📅 Application deadline: July 15, 2025
📄 Download the application:
https://barrheadauxiliary.com/events/dr-b-bose-nursing-scholarship/
Small Town. Big Heart. 💚 Supporting future nurses and local healthcare.