GENEROSITY BLOOMS A resident green thumb helped cultivate praise-worthy outdoor gardens. By Kimberley McNeil
Robert Ziebarth enjoyed the gardens he made possible at the Carewest Colonel Belcher.
It started with squirrels. When the mischievous rodents ravaged the vegetable gardens at Carewest Nickle House, former resident Robert Ziebarth was compelled to fight back. As he volunteered to breathe life back into the gardens, Robert built a special relationship with the landscaping crew, husband-and-wife team Diana and Lonnie, who helped him grow his love for plants. Robert’s grandmother loved gardening and instilled in him a passion for turning bland spaces into horticultural gems. He did just that, first at Nickle House and then at Carewest Colonel Belcher, where he moved in March 2022. Coincidentally, Robert’s grandfather, a WWI veteran, had lived at the Colonel Belcher where Robert would visit him as a young boy. Within a year after Robert moved in, he, Diana, and Lonnie were renovating the courtyard gardens. Beyond his sweat equity, Robert also donated funds towards the restoration. “The gardens needed love,” he said. He recruited his son, Andrew, to join the efforts and together with Andrew’s family, they devised a multi-stage plan that included cleanup; planting of perennials such as bleeding hearts, snapdragons, and phlox; building trellises, arbours, arches, and flower beds; and maintenance. Now, during summer, at both the Nickle House and Colonel Belcher gardens, you’ll see walls and arches of beautiful flowers including clematis, a purple climbing vine. It always featured prominently in Robert’s
In early 2024, Steve Magus got an earache. He went to urgent care, but then his vision became blurred, and he developed a terrible headache. He was diagnosed with a severe ear infection, prescribed an antibiotic and sent home. Late the next morning, Steve’s wife, Sonya, found him still in bed, slurring his words and delirious. “I couldn’t stand on my own. I didn’t know what was happening. My wife had to call 911,” Steve recalls. He was rushed to Foothills Medical Centre, where he was put into a medically induced coma. He had contracted Group A streptococcal (GAS) meningitis, a serious and deadly condition that causes swelling of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord. Steve underwent emergency brain surgery and was given a 50/50 chance of survival. A week later, still in a coma, he showed no signs of improving. A CLOSE CALL A serious illness sparks Steve Magus’s drive to give back. By Ashley Oakley grandmother’s planting, and he made sure they were included in the garden rejuvenations. “Clematis will always hold a place in my heart. Their creeping vines are nostalgic,” shared Robert before his passing in May 2025. “Besides, squirrels hate them.” Are you a resident, client, or family member who would like to plant your own seeds at Carewest? Email us at philanthropy@calgaryhealthfoundation.ca, and we’ll be happy to help.
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Breakthroughs [ Fall 2025 ]
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