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Hillcrest funding confusion

Barrhead and District Social Housing Association’s plans to expand Hillcrest Seniors Lodge have hit a snag. On Tuesday, July 19, during the Town of Barrhead’s council meeting, mayor Gerry St.

Barrhead and District Social Housing Association’s plans to expand Hillcrest Seniors Lodge have hit a snag.

On Tuesday, July 19, during the Town of Barrhead’s council meeting, mayor Gerry St. Pierre told fellow councillors during his social housing report he was concerned that there could be a hiccup regarding provincial funding for the association’s plan to expand the facility.

For close to two years, the association has been working towards a 45 to 50-unit expansion and facelift, which is estimated will cost about $11 million and, would be funded in part by the association and grants from the provincial government.

“It seems the provincial government, in their wisdom, in order for them to support financially any such project, they require some equity in the project,” he said. “In other words, they will want ownership of what presently the Barrhead and District Social Housing Association owns.”

St. Pierre added the association is in the process of setting up meetings with provincial government officials for clarification.

“There is still the option of us doing the project ourselves and eliminating them (provincial government) completely, but I’m not sure that is the right thing either,” he said.

Coun. Ryan Warehime asked if the provincial government would own, in part, a Barrhead and District Social Housing Association facility, would their portion of the funding increase.

St. Pierre responded that he wasn’t sure if provincial ownership in the facility had any direct correlation in the amount of funding it would receive.

“It is my understanding that if they provide any amount of funding they would want ownership of that facility,” he said. “It doesn’t sound like they would want part ownership, but complete ownership, but that still has to be clarified.”

It was something Woodlands County Coun. Dale Kluin commented on a few hours earlier during his social housing report during their regular council meeting in Whitecourt.

He said progress for the association’s 10-unit seniors housing project in Swan Hills is proceeding well and that they will soon be meeting with their banks to finalize funding.

“And we were going to do the same with the lodge in Barrhead, but we hadn’t heard back from the province about our funding request,” he said, adding that through a third party he had heard the province had denied the request.

Since then, Kluin said they have received a letter from the province saying they are still considering the association’s application.

“But to get funding they (province) want equity or ownership in the building,” he said. “And during our discussions at our last (association board) meeting the consensus was that there is no way in hell we are giving anything we presently own to the provincial government.”

Seniors Housing Ministry spokesperson Michaleen Elabdi said the province is currently evaluating the Hillcrest project as part of a number of capital projects submitted by housing management bodies.

“We expect to have a decision on the project soon and will be communicating that decision to the Barrhead and District Social Housing Association,” she said, adding if the project is approved, funding will be provided to support the planning stage of the project.

Wait List

Deputy mayor Leslie Penny, who chaired the meeting, asked St. Pierre if the association provided information about wait lists to the board of directors.

“My understanding is the wait list for our social housing exceeds the wait list for our long-term-care facilities in the area. Is that true?” she asked.

St. Pierre said although he could not compare the wait lists of the different types of accommodations, there is a substantial waiting list to get into the association’s facilities (Hillcrest and Klondike Place).

“I don’t believe it has grown over the last couple of years and it is definitely substantial,” he said, adding the people on the waiting list are rated according to needs and the type of care required. “Some are able to move in quite quickly, but it all depends on their ranking. For those with higher needs they could wait up to a year or even more.”

Coun. Roy Ulmer said one of the reasons why he believes there is such a wait list to get into Hillcrest is because people who would be better served in other facilities, such as Shepherd’s Care or Barrhead Continuing Care Centre (W.R. Keir Care) are taking the spaces.

“That situation certainly does exist,” St. Pierre said, adding that is why the association is trying to expand the number of units and the services they provide.”

Beach Volleyball

Barrhead councillors voted unanimously to delay a decision on whether the town should build a beach volleyball court until their 2017 budget deliberations in the fall.

The issue of potentially building a beach volleyball court in Barrhead first came to council’s attention in May when they were approached by a delegation of volleyball players who requested a beach volleyball court be built in Cecile Martin Park. At the time councillors asked administration to investigate what would be involved in the project.

Coun. Don Smith said since the approximate $22,000 cost of the court isn’t included in this year’s recreation budget council should wait until their 2017 budget deliberations before they consider it.


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
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