Ray Prevost was expecting an early Christmas present.
He ended up feeling like the he was part of a bad Halloween hangover.
The longtime chair of the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Association and veteran Town of Bonnyville councillor was expecting provincial Minister of Seniors George VanderBurg and Minister of Municipal Affairs Doug Griffiths to announce significant funding dollars to upgrade Bonnylodge, which was celebrating its “50 plus 1” birthday celebration last Tuesday.
Instead of a major funding announcement, VanderBurg and Griffiths left town offering kind words, optimism, but zero dollars.
“At the end of the day we ended up with an empty sack,” said an obviously disappointed Prevost, who most people know as a passionate, caring community leader who cares deeply about this Town and its citizens. “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.”
Bonnyville — Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw insists there will be good news about a significant amount of provincial government dollars coming to Bonnyville to upgrade Bonnylodge within the next couple of months.
But Prevost 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?”
Leskiw said she remains convinced good news is coming for Prevost, the Lakeland lodge and housing association, residents of Bonnyville and seniors at Bonnylodge.
“The minister assured me the funding to build 40 new self-contained units is on the way … it will happen,” she said.
Griffiths told the Nouvelle he is also confident there will be very good news coming before the spring as the detailed plans forwarded by the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Association are exactly in line with what the government is looking for in terms of funding numerous “demonstration projects” across Alberta that will serve as the template for seniors housing projects across the province.
No one can blame Prevost for being disappointed as he and his committee have poured their collective heart and soul into trying to improve not only Bonnylodge, but seniors housing across the Lakeland area.
It's now up to new Premier Alison Redford and her government to put substantial government money where their proverbial mouths are and come through with the tens of millions of dollars needed to upgrade and build new facilities for seniors across the province, including Bonnylodge.
There are many pressing issues in this community and across Alberta, but improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of seniors should be right near the top.
There's no doubt Ray Prevost is going to keep pushing until words become action and dollars become reality and the sooner it happens the better.
