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The Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital and Bluewater Health foundations are coming together.
Published Mar 12, 2026 • 2 minute read
Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia. Photo by File photo /The ObserverArticle content
The Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital and Bluewater Health foundations are coming together.
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The foundations for the Sarnia and Petrolia Bluewater Health will amalgamate April 1 as the Bluewater Health Foundation.
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The move was initiated by the foundation that has, for many years, raised money for the Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital of Bluewater Health, said Kathy Alexander, executive director of the Bluewater Health Foundation.
Mark Braet, chairperson of the CEE Hospital Foundation speaks at an event in January at the hospital in Petrolia. (File photo/The Observer) Photo by File photo /The Observer
When Bluewater Health was created years ago with the merger of local hospitals, foundations at Sarnia General and St. Joseph’s hospitals in Sarnia also merged, but the foundation in Petrolia continued to operate independently, Alexander said.
“I’ve been with the foundation for almost 15 years and one of the first, most important relationships that I forged was with the CEEH foundation,” she said. “We’ve actually had a wonderful, longstanding relationship working with them.”
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The foundations have been doing more work together in recent years, including sharing proceeds from the annual hospital Dream Home Lottery, she said.
Alexander sits on the board of the CEEH foundation, and it has a seat on the Bluewater Health Foundation.
Unlike the Bluewater Health Foundation, which has paid staff, the CEEH Foundation relies on volunteers.
The foundation in Petrolia “initiated the conversation, recognizing that with a lot of upcoming fundraising priorities and expectations, that perhaps they needed some additional resources and fundraising expertise,” Alexander said.
Bluewater Health announced earlier this year that a multi-million-dollar renovation of the emergency and X-ray departments at the Petrolia hospital will move ahead.
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“It’s a significant project” requiring “a minimum, probably, of a $4 million fundraising campaign,” Alexander said. “And that’s a lot for volunteers to undertake independently without expertise and support.”
The provincial governments funds “the day to day operations” of hospitals but communities are expected to support new technology and capital expansions, Alexander said.
In the case of the Petrolia project, the community, through the foundation, is expected to contribute 10 per cent of construction costs, and 100 per cent of the cost of new equipment and furnishings, she said.
“The community has always rallied behind Bluewater Health and CEEH of Bluewater Health and we’re really just looking forward to continuing our efforts as we expand out into the Town of Petrolia,” Alexander said.
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Both foundation boards, and the hospital, “fully endorsed” the idea of the amalgamation, she said.
“This was a thoughtful decision made by the CEEH Foundation board with the future of health care in Petrolia and Central Lambton at the forefront,” Mark Braet, chairperson of the CEEH Foundation, said in a news release.
“This amalgamation strengthens rural healthcare philanthropy,” he said. “It brings more people, more expertise, and more resources to Petrolia, while protecting local priorities, donor intent, and the community’s voice.”
Volunteers with the Petrolia foundation are expected to remain “engaged” supporting fundraising by Bluewater Health Foundation, Alexander said.
“They’re commitment to CEEH is incredible, and that’s not going anywhere,” she said.
The Petrolia foundation has raised large amounts of money for the hospital in Petrolia over the years and “their legacy will continue,” Alexander said.
Any donations made to the CEEH Foundation will only be used at the Petrolia site, she said.
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