A team from Pioneer Lodge and House and the Lloydminster Region Housing Group celebrated a $250,000 donation from the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation for a new air filtration system. Funds were raised by Lloydminster’s Gift to Health Dodge Ball event in 2023 and from a Christmas mailer. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Residents, staff and visitors at Pioneer House and Lodge won’t have to hold their breath much longer for the startup of a high-tech air filtration system for both retirement buildings.
The Lloydminster Region Health Foundation (LRHF) has donated $250,000 to the Lloydminster Region Housing Group (LRHG) to purchase and install the system.
“This is ultimately life-changing for residents of Pioneer Lodge and House,” said LRHG CEO, Stephanie Miller, at Tuesday’s cheque presentation at Pioneer Lodge.
“We’re very excited to provide them with an enhanced living environment, but also for the staff,” said Miller.
The project is set to start in the next couple of weeks with the initial assessment of the optimal location.
The filtration technology will target and remove airborne viruses and improve air quality to minimize outbreaks and pollutants to improve the living and working environment of residents and staff.
Leslie Lorenz, director of operations at Pioneer House and Lodge, says the donation is a great morale booster for healthcare staff after two tough years through the pandemic.
“What a feeling of community consideration. This is very welcome. This gives our team that essential support,” said Lorenz.
The money for the project was raised through Lloydminster’s Gift to Health in November 2023 during a live-streamed Dodge Ball funder, dubbed Dodge for a Cause, as well as the health foundation’s direct Christmas mailer.
“It’s so great to be able to enhance all of these seniors’ lives that reside here,” said LRHF CEO Stephanie Munro.
She estimates when you add up the 104 employees and 175 residents at both retirement facilities and residents’ families, the air filtration project will positively affect roughly 1,000 individuals.
“A huge thank you to our sponsors as well as our donors and everyone who gave to the Lloydminster’s Gift of Health as well as our Christmas mailer,” said Munro.
She also gave a shout-out to Pioneer’s nursing manager, Natasha Livingston, for writing the Christmas mailer, which she said brought in a “huge amount of donations to help with this project.”
Meanwhile, Miller expects the project will be fully functional by the summer and calls it a great enhancement to the working environment, especially Pioneer Lodge, which will celebrate its 65th anniversary next year.
“We live and work in old buildings with systems that are old,” noted Miller.
“Having the enhancement will cut down on outbreaks, as well meaning we can continue to have life in the building for people coming in and out, volunteers, families—all very important when we talk about what’s important to wellness.
“I cannot thank the residents of Lloydminster enough—the donors and the sponsors for this project, it was overwhelming.”
Miller says it was also heartfelt for residents to know they have so much support from the local community to enhance their living environment.
The installation will be done by a company called C2 Pure with project manager Nuvum Digital.
Munro says the new filtration system will also keep out smoke from wildfires that many homeowners in the region experienced last year.
“Having this new air filtration system in place and to be able to detect outbreaks before they are an issue is going to be very innovative and we’re very excited to be a part of it,” she said.
