A heliport will be constructed at Boundary Trails Health Centre (BTHC) between Morden and Winkler thanks to the generosity of the Krahn family.

Irene Krahn and family have completely funded the $350,000 project in memory of late husband and father Ed Krahn, explaining they "wanted to do something meaningful for the community."

STARS Pilot Jason Johnson thanked the Krahns for their support and investment, "they're going to provide rapid, critical care for future families for many years to come."

He notes BTHC is one of their busiest sites, making 31 calls this year, and nearly 200 since starting in 2011.

The heliport will provide a dedicated landing zone for emergency flight services such as STARS Air Ambulance. Critically ill or injured patients would be transferred into care more quickly, eliminating the need for ground ambulance transfers.

In the past, STARS crews had to land in a grassy area beside the facility which was subject to the elements like snowfall and muddy conditions after heavy rains.

"This gives us a much more controlled environment in which to operate," Johnson adds.

BTHC Foundation Chair Grant Thiessen says the heliport will improve patient comfort and more timely access to reliable life-saving care. "We believe that at such a time when these services are required, we should be able to provide safety to all staff, patients and community members."

The heliport is expected to be finished before the end of the year.