In his almost 20 years in public service, Ray Prevost said he has never been more disappointed — and he refused to hide his hostility towards the provincial government and two recently-appointed ministers who visited Bonnyville last week.
Bonnyville — Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw said she remains “absolutely confident” a huge funding announcement to upgrade the local facility will be made within weeks.
“My level of frustration is pretty well peaked right now,” said the veteran Town of Bonnyville councillor and longtime chair of the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Board. He was “devastated” Minister of Seniors and Community Supports George VanderBurg and Minister of Municipal Affairs Doug Griffiths didn't make any funding announcement to upgrade the Bonnylodge seniors facility during a visit last Tuesday.
“I've lived in this community my entire life and worked for the people for a very long time and experienced a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but I'm telling you this might be the lowest I've ever felt.”
Bonnylodge was celebrating its “50 plus one” anniversary with local healthcare leaders, led by Prevost, expecting a major funding announcement to upgrade the facility.
Prevost said he has been working on upgrading Bonnylodge specifically and seniors housing in this area generally for more than five years and was convinced the ministers would be announcing a significant funding initiative during their visit.
“I was told two weeks ago the government had signed off on this and had chosen the 51st anniversary celebration of Bonnylodge to make a major announcement,” he said. “I know both ministers were missing an important cabinet meeting to come to Bonnyville, which only reinforced my expectation of something significant being announced.
“At the end of the day, we ended up with an empty sack. They basically came here to shake some hands, get a good photo opportunity and cut a cake. It's not exactly what I had in mind and what I was expecting. To say I'm deeply disappointed would be a major understatement.”
Leskiw said she was also disappointed there wasn't a funding announcement, but said there were good reasons.
“The biggest reason there wasn't any announcement was the ministers just received the final plans (drawings) to upgrade the lodge the morning of their visit to Bonnyville,” she said. “I can assure you the money is coming. The ministers have only been in their new jobs for three weeks and they fully support what Ray Prevost and the local group are doing.
“It just takes a little patience and I still have all the confidence in the world some very good news is coming our way very soon.”
The plan to expand and upgrade Bonnylodge “is exactly” what the government is looking at for numerous “demonstration projects” that will be the template to spend hundreds of millions to improve seniors housing across the province, said Leskiw.
“The minister assured me the funding to build 40 new self-contained units is on the way … it will happen,” she said. “Look at Highway 55 … it took almost my entire first term in office to get that done. Sometimes the government doesn't move as quickly as maybe it should, but I can assure you, the funding for Bonnylodge is coming.”
When asked if he believes there will be good news for Bonnyville and area seniors in the next two or three months, as hinted strongly by both ministers during the visit, Prevost said he remains skeptical.
“I have some very serious doubts about that,” he said. “We worked for months on this project and certain promises were made. Then the ministers come here basically for a photo op and to cut a cake and give us nothing. Why would I trust what they have to say going forward?”
He's not the only person who feels this way, but he wasn't about to keep quiet like many others will, said Prevost.
“I poured my heart and soul into this for a long, long time,” he said. “I was given assurances funding was coming our way and those ministers came here and left us with nothing but empty promises. They basically ended up with a nice bus ride to and from the airport, shaking hands with some seniors and a nice photo op.
“I'm crushed and my staff are crushed. We all worked so hard and I don't know what else to do.”
When asked if his harsh criticism of the government and the visit by VanderBurg and Griffiths might be damaging in the future, Prevost didn't back down.
“I don't care, quite frankly,” he said. “I know how hard our group here in Bonnyville worked on this … and some promises were made. Those promises were broken and at the end of the day, we ended up with nothing and that's not good enough.”
Prevost said the former Ed Stelmach government asked Prevost and the local seniors board to complete a thorough “needs assessment” for seniors housing in Bonnyville back in 2008.
Not only did the local board complete the needs assessment out of its own pocket at significant cost, they also completed a detailed power point presentation, making it clear the greatest need was to upgrade Bonnylodge first, and the seniors residence in Glendon second, said Prevost.
Meanwhile, the same government gave $3.8 million to build the West Points seniors residence in Cold Lake two years ago “when there was no needs assessment done on that facility whatsoever,” said Prevost.
“I'm not taking my frustration out on Cold Lake at all, but how the government could hand over $3.8 million for Points West, when we sit here with an old building at Bonnylodge and 61 people on a waiting list to get in the lodge and another 22 sitting in hospital looking for long-term care is beyond me,” he said. “To me, this visit by the ministers was a complete exercise in futility. Points West wasn't even part of a needs assessment and there's no waiting list, yet they get the cheque for $3.8 million
“How could I be told the ministry had signed off on this (funding for Bonnylodge) and then we get nothing when the ministers arrive? I'm not a fool. I want the truth for once, some candour.
“My level of trust with our provincial government right now has dwindled significantly.”
Leskiw said her “number one priority remains seniors housing and I will remain relentless and a thorn in the government's side until we get this money.”
Premier Alison Redford has made seniors issues, including housing, one of her top priorities, which reinforces her confidence funding for Bonnylodge is coming very soon, she said.