Latest news with #BobProbert
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Bob Probert's family helps open Tecumseh health care campus in his name
Family members of the late Detroit Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert celebrated what would have been his 60th birthday on Thursday by helping open the Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) Tecumseh campus named in his honour. The Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus offers specialized outpatient programs, including cardiac wellness, rehab outreach, outpatient rehab services and geriatric services, according to a news release from HDGH. Probert's widow, Dani Probert, said the official opening was more emotional than she expected it to be. "Typically on Bob's birthday, we like to celebrate quietly, privately," she said. "The kids and I are sitting with his favourite music and eating all of his favourite foods. And today, it seemed so appropriate to be with the community at an event like this. … I think the community of Windsor-Essex has been so amazing with helping us in the grieving process over 10 years. So it seemed really special to be with the same people after all these years to spend his birthday." Bob Probert died in 2010 of a heart attack at the age of 45, eight years after his retirement from the National Hockey League. A feared enforcer and one-time all-star His 16-year career with the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks earned him a reputation as a feared enforcer who accumulated 3,300 penalty minutes – the fifth-highest total of all time. He also racked up 384 points, including 163 goals, and earned an All-Star nod during the 1987-88 season. For a decade after his death, his family helped organize the annual Bob Probert Ride, a fundraising motorcycle poker run in his honour, to raise money for health care. "The ride has achieved a lot over the years," Probert's daughter, Brogan, told the audience at the opening. "Since that very first meeting, we were able to support the cardiac cath lab on Ouellette, provide exercise equipment to the Petro Family Cardiac Wellness Centre on Prince Road, and now the Bob Probert Tecumseh campus will officially open. The impact that this campus will have on our community is greater than we originally had anticipated. It's incredible." The president and CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare said the campus has already seen around 700 patient visits since its soft opening on March 3. And there's been no reduction in the patient volume at the main campus on Prince Road, a spokesperson added. That demand is prompting the organization to think about expanding, Bill Marra said. "I've been in the public service for 37 years in a variety of leadership roles," he said. "This is one of the most grassroots community-based success stories I've ever been a part of – the family coming together over a catastrophic event, donors from a wide spectrum of corporate citizens, private citizens, a hospital institution, the Town of Tecumseh, organized labour. Think about that formula and look at where we're at today."
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
New Tecumseh medical campus named after Bob Probert
The family of legendary NHL enforcer Bob Probert say he would have been humbled to have a medical care facility named in his honour. They attended the opening ceremony of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's new Tecumseh campus. CBC's Dalson Chen was there.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New Tecumseh health campus honours Bob Probert's legacy
Bob Probert's family seen at the grand opening of HDGH's Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus in Tecumseh, Ont. on June 5, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) A ribbon-cutting ceremony on what would have been Bob Probert's 60th birthday marked the official opening of a new east-end health campus named in his honour on Thursday. The Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus is now fully operational, offering a range of specialized outpatient services for residents in Tecumseh, Lakeshore, and the surrounding area. The facility is named after the late NHL enforcer and Windsor native, whose legacy of supporting cardiac wellness lives on thanks to the funds raised during the annual Bob Probert Ride — an event that raised more than $1.2 million during its 10-year existence for local healthcare programs. Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus HDGH The ribbon cutting of HDGH's Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus in Tecumseh, Ont. on June 5, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) 'A lot more emotional than anticipated,' said Probert's widow, Dani, of the opening. 'Typically, on Bob's birthday we like to celebrate quietly, privately, the kids and I listening to his favourite music and eating all of his favourite foods. Today, it seemed so appropriate to be with the community at an event like this.' The new campus began seeing patients in late March and has already logged more than 700 visits across a variety of programs, including cardiac rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and the Geriatric Assessment Program. Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus HDGH The ribbon cutting of HDGH's Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus in Tecumseh, Ont. on June 5, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) 'We knew there was a need on the east end,' said Probert. 'Especially for the elderly — just for the ease of access, the parking. When I toured the facility back in February during the soft open, it was full. It was just a wonderful, heartwarming feeling.' Healthcare leaders said the goal is to reduce barriers to care, particularly for patients who may struggle to travel to HDGH's main location in west Windsor. 'This was needed,' said HDGH President and CEO Bill Marra. 'People were not coming for care because transportation and access was a barrier.' Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus HDGH HDGH's CEO, Bill Marra, seen at the ribbon cutting of the Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus in Tecumseh, Ont. on June 5, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) Marra praised the Town of Tecumseh, the Probert family, and key donors including Unifor Local 444, Brotto Family Holdings and Suburban Homes, and the 'Probie Peeps' — a group of long-time community supporters — for bringing the project to life. 'This is all grassroots, community-based, and over a decade in the making,' said Marra. 'If it weren't for the town, the Probert family, and the donors you saw today, this literally would not have happened.' Shannon Landry, HDGH's Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive, said the Tecumseh location is already proving its value. 'We've had about 700 visits already,' Landry said. 'There's occupational therapy, physical therapy, cardiac exercise, dietitians, all kinds of services from a rehabilitation perspective for patients. Our hopes and dreams have been fulfilled.' For the Probert family, the campus is the physical legacy of the ride that started it all. Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus HDGH Bob Probert's family seen at the grand opening of HDGH's Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus in Tecumseh, Ont. on June 5, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) 'The ride and this legacy project were created to honour our father and give back to the community he called home,' said Bob's eldest daughter, Brogan. 'Today, as we open the doors to this campus, we see that vision fulfilled. Our hearts are full.' Dani Probert said Bob would be 'humbled' by the outpouring of community support. 'Windsor-Essex has been so amazing in helping us through the grieving process over the past 10 years,' she said. 'It's been emotional. I didn't expect it to be this emotional.' The HDGH Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus is located at 12420 Lanoue Street.
