Joy Bell, administrator of Pioneer Lodge and House, updated Rotary Club of Lloydminster members about a proposed $23 million-plus expansion of the Lodge at Monday’s lunch meeting. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
It was fitting that Rotary Club of Lloydminster member Wayde Blythe invited Pioneer Lodge administrator Joy Bell to talk about a proposed $23 million-plus expansion of the seniors’ residence.
Blythe has publicly stated he may become a lodge resident some day, and supports plans to meet the demand for independent housing for retirees.
“We just wanted him to know what his room is going to look like,” joked Bell prior to her formal presentation at Monday’s lunch meeting.
Bell noted there has been a number of people like Blythe reaching out to Pioneer wanting to get on the waiting list since news of the expansion broke earlier this year.
“It tells you that there is a big need out there,” she said.
The addition would demolish the existing 41 beds on the ground floor built in 1960, to create 90 new units over three floors with the goal to match care to the level a resident needs it.
Bell says the new rooms will be built to Alberta Health Services (AHS) standards up to long-term care capability.
Currently, the Lodge just provides hospitality services with no medical staff on-site, other than scheduled personal care contracted to Saskatchewan Home Care.
“When we put someone in one of these rooms, we will be able to meet their care needs. What has to happen, however, is to get AHS to accept us billing them for the extra care,” she said.
Bell says that’s what they do now at the attached Pioneer House supportive living wing, which provides up to Level 4D care for persons with dementia.
“We will bill AHS for those needs. Those needs will be assessed by Home Care,” said Bell.
Meanwhile, the facility is applying for grant applications to the Government of Alberta and the federal government for project funding.
“We are talking with representatives of Saskatchewan and Alberta and we are also going to the federal government, but nothing back yet,” reported Bell.
No project funding is expected from Saskatchewan, however, as was the case when Pioneer House was built in 2017.
“The Saskatchewan government feels they don’t offer these levels of care to everyone in Saskatchewan, so they can’t financially support it in only one location,” explained Bell.
She says despite that, about 35 per cent of Lodge residents are from the Saskatchewan side of the city.
Pioneer’s board is also proposing a fourth floor of life lease condos to help offset the cost of the project.
“That will depend on when we sit at the table with the provinces. If the provinces are asking us to provide funding for this project, certainly we’re going to have to look at something like that,” said Bell.
She is confident that any required fundraising will be met by the community.
“Pioneer is large enough that there’s very few families around here that haven’t had somebody with us at some point in time, and support has come when they know it’s Pioneer,” said Bell.
Lobsterfest May 7
In other Rotary news, Lobsterfest is being planned to take place on May 7.
Organizer Darryl Benson says ticket prices and the number of tickets to be sold will be nailed down soon once they pinpoint whether it’s going to be a fundraiser or just a social event.
“So behind the scenes, we are working on that, but the exciting part is, I think we are going ahead,” said Benson.
“So thank goodness for mask-less Monday. We will be putting together a Lobsterfest committee.”
