Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) will be applying for some of the new funding for upgrades and new construction of seniors' lodges recently announced by Premier Jim Prentice, says CAO Sam Smalldon.
During the 2014 Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) convention, Prentice announced that $160 million in new money will be made available over the next four years.
The provincial and federal funds will be used to upgrade or to replace seniors' lodges.
MVSH operates lodges in Sundre, Didsbury, Carstairs and Olds. It also operates self-contained apartments and subsidized family housing.
“Our choice is to apply for funding that matches our long-term plans and certainly our long-term plans are to add and improve,” said Smalldon. “We will be looking for project money once we determine where the new project is.
“It's entirely likely that there is a project for Carstairs to consolidate the lodge and housing that is there for seniors as the facility is old and one that is targeted for getting a sprinkler system. So our logic is to say, we need to get all of those seniors together numbers wise to become economical and we think the money would be best spent in a new facility.
“Once we determine that is part of our long-term strategy, we will apply for funding. There is a need and we want to do it on a planned basis. We don't want to be applying for funding and then come up with a project. We've learned the lesson about not doing that. We don't want to chase the money. We want the project to be a good project and then seek the funding to fill that need.”
MVSH will also be seeking funding for upgrades to its other lodges, he said.
“We will look for any type of money that will either upgrade or enhance,” he said. “New renovations and enhancements, those types of things, we will certainly be looking for money. And if there is new money available, we will be taking a serious look at it.”
Premier Prentice said the new funding will help keep more seniors in their home communities.
“Enabling seniors to stay in their own communities in familiar surroundings is a key to their health, and keeping them happy is something we'll be focused on,” Prentice said Nov. 27.
“Seniors and our loved ones expect better and they deserve better than to be split up or to be moved out of their communities. We will work hard to meet those expectations.”
The new funding comes on top of $70 million recently announced to upgrade sprinkler systems in seniors' lodges.
"We will be looking for project money."Sam Smalldon,CAO of MVSH