After years of fundraising and organizing, the new standalone Doug and Fran MacDonald 91原创 Hospice Residence was officially opened on Friday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about living well, right to the end,鈥� said Kathy Derksen, president of the 91原创 Hospice Society鈥檚 board.

On Tuesday, May 31, staff and volunteers and the first patients will arrive at the new centre, moving from their previous home on the nearby 91原创 Memorial Hospital campus.

Derksen said when staff and volunteers arrive, it will 鈥渢ruly bring the heart into our new home.鈥�

Hospice care is for people who are at the end of life, and the goal behind creating this new 16,000-square-foot building on 52nd Avenue just downhill from the hospital.

The new 15-bed hospice replaces and upgrades on the previous 10-bed facility.

At the new building, every room is private, with more space, doorways leading directly outside into courtyards or side yards, small fridges, and pullout couches for the residents鈥� family members.

There is a spa room with a specialized bath, blanket warmers, private washrooms, handwashing stations in the halls, and artistic touches, such as a mural created by local artist Felicity Holmes.

RELATED: VIDEO 鈥� 91原创 creates a home for end of life

Local and provincial dignitaries came to the official opening, among them members of the MacDonald family 鈥� for whom the facility is named.

鈥淚t started small,鈥� said Dean MacDonald, of his family鈥檚 support for hospice.

Dean鈥檚 mother Fran was in hospice care at the end of her life in 2008.

The building was old, it was July, and the air conditioning was not exactly up to snuff. The MacDonalds, including Dean鈥檚 brothers, sister, and father, wanted to help upgrade the system to help others who would need hospice care.

From there, they started a relationship with hospice society that led them to agreeing to be the lead sponsors of the new building.

READ MORE: New 91原创 hospice takes shape

鈥淭hey were very big on giving back,鈥� Dean said of his parents.

His father is still here, but while he鈥檚 fond of contributing to the community, he鈥檚 not big on the limelight.

Doug MacDonald did want it known that the family鈥檚 gift to hospice is in honour of the staff and volunteers there, and all the work they do, Dean said.

Also present at the opening were the leadership of the Kwantlen First Nation.

Michael Kelly, the son of Chief Marilyn Gabriel, pointed to the importance of the building.

鈥淭his dream will outlive you, will outlive maybe even your grandchildren, and that鈥檚 something to be proud of,鈥� he said.

Construction is complete on a new hospice in . It'll be ready to accept loved ones near the end of their life鈥檚 journey and in need of hospice care next week.

鈥� Adrian Dix (@adriandix)

鈥淭heir final wish is always to be at home,鈥� Chief Gabriel said of elders in their final days.

That鈥檚 why creating this home-like environment where people can be with their families is so important, she said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix offered remarks and thanks to Derksen, remembering a few years ago when they marked the beginning of construction at the site in front of a big mound of dirt.

鈥淭hese places, these centres mean so much to people,鈥� he said.

He gave a particular nod to the $4 million raised by the hospice society towards the project.

鈥淭his space represents the best of our communities,鈥� said Dix.