- In 1996, Winkler & District Chamber of Commerce, Winkler Community Development Corporation and Winkler Town Council met with the 5 practicing family physicians and 1 surgeon in the area to explore ways of supporting health care for the district.
- Winkler & District Health Care Board was formed that same year with the intent to be a regional health care board.
- The Board rented space at the Winkler Clinic on Main Street which they in turn leased to the physician group.
In the fall of 1996, the Winkler area became acutely aware of the lack of physicians and the need for recruitment. In addition, the message from government that the plan for a new hospital was to be postponed indefinitely caused alarm across the community. The critical state of health care for the region attracted the attention of all 7 of Winkler’s physicians as well as the concerned interest of city leaders.
Dave Penner, then President of the Winkler Chamber of Commerce approached mayor Henry F. Wiebe to see how the community might become more effective in addressing the Winkler and area’s critical health care needs. These two community leaders chaired subsequent meetings of the Winkler Chamber and the Winkler Economic Development Corporation, inviting the participation of Winkler’s physicians which resulted in the formation of the WDHC Board in November of 2000 and the creation of the Dr. C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre. This new entity met every 2 weeks for the first 10 years helping shape the organization and creating an effective response to the critical need for better primary health care in the area. The exemplary vision of the early leaders saw to it that the board membership include representation from the surrounding area. That early vision continues to be a strength of the Health Care Board’s ongoing viability now almost 20 years later.
Initial Goals
- Increasing the complement of physicians serving the region
- Recruitment and retention of physicians
- Work in collaboration with the Boundary Trails Health Centre which serves a region of 8 municipalities, including the 24-hour staffing of the Emergency Department
History to the Present
- In 2001 the Health Care Board responded to growing demand for services and created the C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre in the Winitoba Mall, downtown Winkler, presently known as the ALG Professional Centre, relieving physicians of the burden associated with property management.
This also complemented the vision of Alvin Thiessen and the AL Group for creating a “health mall” in the downtown area.
- This community clinic grew in subsequent years with the Health Care Board purchasing its footprint in the ALG Professional Centre in 2014.
- Continued expansion up to the present means the current facility occupies just over 27,000 square feet.