Building More Care Options
April 29, 2010
Sod turned on Grande Prairie supportive living facility
Construction has officially begun on a 120-bed continuing care and designated living facility in Grande Prairie, following a groundbreaking ceremony on April 29.
The $25-million Grande Prairie Care Centre will have 60 continuing care beds, for residents with highly complex health needs, and 60 designated assisted living rooms, where residents receive high levels of personal care and support in an inviting, home-like setting that offers privacy and encourages independence.
“Like the Grande Prairie community, I am really looking forward to the opening of this facility,” said Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports. “Today’s ceremony marked an important milestone for the project, which will provide more options to local seniors and persons with disabilities to remain as independent as possible while addressing their changing health and accommodations needs.”
The Alberta government is providing $6.6 million through the capital grant Rural Affordable Supportive Living program to help build the designed assisted living spaces.
Construction is expected to be complete by late 2011. The new facility will replace a 60-bed continuing care centre of the same name.
“Albertans have told us that increasing the number of spaces and range of options available to seniors as they age is an important priority in communities across Alberta,” Ken Hughes, Chair of the Alberta Health Services Board, said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“This project is a great example of the partnerships that will help us create new options to ensure the right care is available to seniors in the right place, at the right time.”
Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale and John Kurvink, CEO of Chantelle Management, the builder and operator of the new facility, also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.
The building’s design is based on the Edith Cavell Care Centre in Lethbridge, another facility owned and operated by Chantelle Management. It was built in 2000, so Chantelle Management has used its years of operating experience in Lethbridge to further refine the design for the Grande Prairie Care Centre. As well, the design was modified to include energy-saving features, to meet up-to-date building standards and to suit Grande Prairie’s climate.
“I thank those who continued to have faith in our willingness and unwavering commitment to bring this long anticipated project to fruition,” said Kurvink.
This Grande Prairie Care Centre replacement project is one of two supportive living projects AHS has underway with its partners in the city.
The Points West Living project under construction on the city’s west side will provide a much broader range of supportive living options for area residents than is currently available. It will have 150 designated assisted living spaces for people with health limitations, including those requiring hospice, palliative, mental health and dementia care.
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