At long last, the seniors in Bonnyville, the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Foundation, local MLA Genia Leskiw, and Town coun. Ray Prevost can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Provincial Ministers Doug Griffiths and George VanderBurg made a triumphant return to Bonnyville on Wednesday to announce a $10 million seniors' housing project that will rejuvenate and renovate Bonnylodge and Villa Ouimet.
This follows years of campaigning and planning on behalf of the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Foundation, led by Prevost, as well as a deeply disappointing visit from the same ministers in November 2011 that raised hopes of a funding announcement only to dash them after the ministers cut the Lodge's anniversary cake, had a slice and left again without announcing anything.
The timing is a little suspect, with the promised provincial election looming this spring, but let's not focus on that. Ten million dollars goes just as far at election time as it does any other time during the year, so belittling the gesture because of that is looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Seniors on the housing waiting list – over 50 of them – certainly won't be dwelling on the timing of the funding announcement while living in their new Bonnylodge accommodations or benefiting from easier mobility after the kitchen and dining area are modernized.
It's nice to see the government come through on its promises and even better to see the hard work and dedication of the housing foundation pay off in such a substantial way.
Prevost made sure the efforts of the foundation were not overlooked, saying the project had been “a concentrated effort of the Lakeland Lodge and Housing Board.”
“It was a long, tough grind,” he said. “But we kept our eye on the prize.”
Leskiw was so excited about the announcement she had trouble actually saying the words, tearing up at the podium and having to compose herself before she was able to discuss the details of the project.
Later, she said, “It's great, it's been my number one issue from the date I got elected four years ago. I love my seniors, whether it's in Glendon or Bonnyville or Cold Lake or Riverhurst or Ardmore or anywhere … I respect our seniors for what they've done … It's my way of saying thanks to them and giving back to them. Anything I can do to make the life of seniors better, then that's where I want to be.”
Congratulations to the housing foundation, Prevost and Leskiw for showing that hard work, dedication and a little bit of relentlessness at the legislature pays off.
Now with seniors' housing dealt with, it's time to turn our sights to the future. There's the looming election, the beginning of construction on the much-debated roundabout, the tendering of the seniors' housing project and hey, maybe if we've got a little bit of extra time on our hands, we can start thinking about affordable housing for the rest of us.
Just a thought.
