Blue Christmas: A quiet reflective service
Christmas can be a difficult time of year. Residents, families, friends and staff are invited to join us for this gentle service.
Christmas Door Decorating Contest 2025!
The Christmas Door Decorating contest is underway for 2025! We will have a prize for the best team door and the best individual door.
The contest is running from December 1st to 15th. Have you decorated your door yet?
How to Enter:
- Gather your team (or go solo) and decorate a door. Please make sure that the door remains safe (ie can open, close, and lock as usual) and do not block any necessary sightlines.
- Take a photo and send it to Claire.Colvin [at] MennoPlace.ca along with the names of the people who worked on the door and your location on campus.
- Please submit your photos of your team or individual Christmas doors no later than 4 pm on December 15th.
Winners will be announced by Thursday, December 18th.
Happy Decorating!
Here are some of last year’s entries (including the winning entry!) for inspiration:
Safety is Everyone’s Business: The True Cost of WorkSafe Claims
Every claim counts — prevention protects everyone.
When an injury happens, the impact goes beyond the individual. WorkSafeBC claims affect staffing levels, morale, and even funding that supports programs and care delivery.
Here’s what happens when we reduce claims:
- We keep premiums lower, meaning more resources for staff wellness and equipment.
- We maintain consistent care for residents and clients.
- We protect our reputation as a safe, supportive employer.
Here’s what you can do:
- Work safely every day, follow policies and use equipment correctly.
- Support coworkers who return to modified duties.
- Keep communication open, ask for training if you’re unsure.
- Be proactive: prevention is the best cost savings strategy.
Let’s make every shift count: for ourselves, our residents, and our community.
Let’s rise to lift others this #GivingTuesday
Together, we can enhance the dignity, comfort, and safety of residents and staff at Menno Place.
MEMO: All BCNU Members – Menno Apartments & Menno Home – Key Changes
To: All BCNU Members – Menno Apartments and Menno Home
This memo provides nursing staff with key information regarding the upcoming transition to the British Columbia Nurses’ Union (BCNU).
Implementation Dates
- Menno Apartments: November 16, 2025
- Menno Home: November 23, 2025
Key Changes
- Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP)
- All regular full-time and part-time nurses must participate in the EDMP.
- EDMP provides structured reviews and monitoring for employees off work due to illness or injury, supporting a smoother and earlier return to work.
- TeksMed is the EDMP provider for Menno Place.
- Refer to MOA – Enhanced Disability Management Program in the Collective Agreement.
- Resignations
- Regular employees must provide 28 calendar days’ written notice of resignation; otherwise, a penalty may apply.
- Refer to Article 15.
- Internal Job Postings
- Vacancies nine (9) months or longer will be posted as temporary postings.
- Internal postings will be posted on Tuesdays and remain open for 72 hours (reduced from 7 days).
- Refer to Article 17.
- Increments
- Casual employees: Advance one increment every 1,950 hours worked.
- Regular employees: Advance on their anniversary date.
- Refer to Article 12.
- Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) – Maternity Leave
- Staff are entitled to SEB when taking maternity leave.
- Refer to Article 38.
- WorkSafeBC (WCB) Claims
- Employees with an accepted WorkSafeBC claim will remain on the employer’s payroll.
- The employer continues to pay the employee, and WorkSafeBC reimburses the employer.
- Refer to Article 42.
- Personal Leave Bank
- Regular employees are entitled to two personal leave days per year.
- For 2025 only, the allocation is as follows:
- Nurses hired into a regular position before June 30, 2025: 2 days
- Nurses hired into a regular position after June 30, 2025: 1 day
- You must currently be in a regular position to receive this benefit.
- Personal leave banks from 2025 may be carried into 2026, up to March 31st.
- Refer to Article 43.
- Casual – Minimum Hours to Work
- Casual Employees are required to work a minimum of 400 hours over a twelve (12) month period.
- Refer to Article 11
- Status of Casual Employees in Temporary Positions
- Casual employees in temporary positions will be considered regular employees for the duration of the assignment.
- This includes eligibility for all benefits available to regular full-time or part-time staff.
- Refer to Article 17
Important Note
This memo does not cite the full Collective Agreement and is intended as a summary of key points only. It is the employee’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with the full Collective Agreement. The complete document can be accessed here:
BCNU Collective Agreement – Nurses Bargaining Association
If you have any questions, you can reach out to your shop steward:
Meg McCusker
Steward at Large, Fraser Valley Region
BC Nurses’ Union
P: 604 433 2268 | 1 800 663 9991
You can download the full text of this memo as a PDF here: The Culture Volume 2025.07
NEW ComVida Colour Legend
These colors indicate site location across notifications, the bidding board, and the schedule page.
MEMO: Second Vacation Requests Reminder
MEMO
To: All Menno Home, Hospital and Apartments Staff
Date: November 28, 2025
Re: Submission of Second and Subsequent Vacation Choices
Menno Home, Hospital and Apartments staff,
This is a friendly reminder that all second subsequent vacation requests must be submitted by December 1, 2025. This includes ALL remaining vacation hours with the exception of 5 days.
Only a maximum of (5) days may be left unscheduled, BUT must be booked by August 1, 2026 (if not, Staffing will assign, and no changes will be made).
If the Staffing Department does not receive your second and subsequent vacation requests, they will randomly assign vacation dates.
All BCNU Members – Menno Apartments and Menno Home
To: All BCNU Members – Menno Apartments and Menno Home
This bulletin is to keep our nursing staff informed regarding the transition to the British Columbia Nurses’ Union (BCNU).
Menno Home and Terrace East at Menno Apartments were certified under BCNU as of April 08, 2025. A contract has been signed as of November 25, 2025, with the Union.
The effective dates of the implementation are:
Menno Apartments – November 16, 2025
Menno Home – November 23, 2025
As per the contract, all eligible nurses are to be transferred from the current benefits provider to the Health Benefit Trust (HBT) effective December 01, 2025.
Your benefits with Empire Life will be terminated effective November 30, 2025.
HBT is in the process of setting up your new benefits. During this transition period, employees may need to pay for eligible prescriptions and services out of pocket. Please keep all receipts—you will be able to submit them for reimbursement once your coverage is fully active.
Next Steps:
We will share further details, including the new carrier contact information and instructions for submitting claims as soon as the transition is complete.
Thank you
You can download a PDF of this bulletin here: HR Bulleting Vol 2025.06 – All BCNU Members – Menno Apartments and Menno Home
