Surrey鈥檚 Legion Veterans Village is unveiled.

Rowena Rizzotti, project lead, called its grand opening the culmination of eight years of 鈥渄edication, passion and fortitude鈥� committed to the 鈥渂etterment of how we serve our veterans, first responders and their families and the challenges they face as a result of their service.鈥�

More than 400 dignitaries, including representatives from all levels of government, were invited Wednesday to tour the $312-million Legion Veterans Village project at 10626 City Parkway in Surrey鈥檚 downtown, to get a first-hand look at the Centre of Clinical Excellence for veterans, first responders and their families.

Rowena Rizzotti. (Submitted photo)

鈥淭he message is that we just made what people thought would be impossible, possible,鈥� Rizzotti told the Now-Leader. 鈥淎nd this is just the beginning. The bricks and mortar of this building are just the beginning but how we are going to transform the health care and access to service for veterans and first responders and their family, that is the next phase of our work and our goal not only here in Surrey but across this country.鈥�

The Village is at the corner of City Parkway and 106 Avenue. Developed by the BC/Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion, Whalley Legion Branch 229 and the Lark Group, it consists of a 20-storey building containing the new 10,500 square-foot Whalley Legion Branch 229, as well as 91 affordable housing units and 171 market housing units in the first phase of overall development, and of course, the Centre of Clinical Excellence operated by Veterans and First Responders Health.

Chloe Angus, of Human in Motion Robotics, was told she'd never walk again -- yet here she is, showcasing an XoMotion machine at Surrey's Veterans Village.

鈥� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

鈥淭his will be the first of its kind, fully integrated continuum of care for veterans and first responders, and families, in their health and wellness needs. It will be the first of its kind in this country,鈥� Rizzotti said before the big reveal. 鈥淓arly intervention around some of the most innovative practices 鈥� therapeutics, interventions and technologies.鈥�

The VFRH is an 鈥渋ntegrated group鈥� of family physicians, nurse practitioners and other care providers connected through Welmind 鈥� a 鈥渄igital healthcare partner enabling streamlined, co-ordinated care.鈥�

Siamak Arzanpour, co-founder of Human in Motion Robotics, at Surrey's Legion Veterans Village on helping people walk again.

鈥� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

Through the Centre of Clinical Excellence, Actum Health provides specialists in 鈥渋nterdisciplinary, complex care鈥� to help people dealing with chronic pain, mental health issues, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and addiction while Neuromotion, a neurological physiotherapy and rehabilitation company, brings Lokomat robot-assisted gait therapy and XOmotion robotic legs to the Village to help people with neurological injuries 鈥渙ptimize their recovery鈥� and learn how to walk again.

There is also comprehensive dental care available from City Parkway Dental. HealthTech Connex Brainnovation Network is dedicated to advancing clinical research into brain health, and training clinicians how to implement new treatment.

The busy Neuromotion Physiotherapy + Rehabilitation clinic, moved to the Village last week from a building on 96 Avenue.

The ground-floor facility helps people with neurological injuries, including Bruce Burns, who suffered a stroke two years ago. On Tuesday, the former Vancouver police officer rehabbed his left leg on the Lokomat treadmill, for gait training.

鈥淚t took me a year just to be able to stand up,鈥� Burns said during his 50-minute session.

鈥淲e want to prevent another stroke by getting him walking again, and to create new pathways to the brain,鈥� explained Franziska Jouanguy, Burns鈥� physiotherapist.

Neuromotion鈥檚 new clinic has private rooms, 鈥渨hich are nice because we deal with concussions, and those people need quiet space, and also brain injuries, for therapy,鈥� said clinic manager Anne Shaw.

鈥淎 lot of our patients are long-term, been with us four or five years and more, and some of them will now live here in the building.鈥�

Anne Shaw explains how the Lokomat machine helps people at Surrey's Legion Veterans Village, which celebrated its grand opening Wednesday.

鈥� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

Rizzotti said an intake process over the next weeks and months will see the 鈥渇ull commissioning鈥� of all different spaces, clinical services and housing.

鈥淲e are all working in collaboration on a daily basis around coordinating that intake and defining those processes to make it seamless. A 1-800 number is coming, the website access is coming for both the housing and the clinical services,鈥� she said.

Meantime, with the facilities now in place, the Legion Veterans Village Research Foundation is launching the first phase of its fundraising campaign to support clinical research, with a $10-million goal over five years and a $25-million goal over 10 years, to support access for patients into advanced and innovative programming.

鈥淣ot just here in Surrey, but across the country,鈥� Rizzotti noted, 鈥渁nd enabling the research and evaluation so we can really influence how veterans and first-responders are cared for in the future.鈥�

Anne Shaw of Neuromotion showcases the Lokomat machine at Surrey's Legion Veterans Village.

鈥� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

鈥� With files by Tom Zillich