Sarnia-Lambton's world-class cycling event and world-class hospital will soon be featured on the big screen. The Bluewater International Granfondo and the Bluewater Health Foundation are making a documentary film promoting the community. Granfondo committee chair Ken MacAlpine said the film is about living well and dying well in Sarnia-Lambton.
"The living well part, with the cycling events we've created, is encouraging people to be healthy and live well. As for the dying well, between St. Joseph's Hospice and Bluewater Health, we feel that palliative care is looked after here as good as anywhere else in Canada," said MacAlpine. "What we're looking at is an inspiring documentary that tells the story of a community coming together to mount a world class granfondo to support hospice palliative care providers by advancing the knowledge base through continued education." Health Foundation Executive Director Kathy Alexander said since partnering with the cycling event in 2016 for the inaugural race, it's allowed the hospital to spread their palliative care story. "The impact of the care and compassion that our front line providers do give to patients and their families will be featured in the film, and incredibly, telling the story of Dr. Linda Bowring who was instrumental in the establishment of palliative care in Sarnia-Lambton when she was a physician at St. Joseph's Hospital," said Alexander. "Bringing that notion of palliative care to Bluewater Health is a story that we're excited to tell. I've heard from so many people that our community is second to none with palliative care we're able to provide." MacAlpine said the film will debut at the South Western International Film Festival (SWIFF) this fall. He said the cost to produce the film will be between $50,000 and $75,000-- The Judith & Norman Alix Foundation is investing $10,000. MacAlpine said Dragonfly Media, based out of Sarnia-Lambton, will help produce the film.
