ST. PAUL – Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul Scott Cyr MLA Scott Cyr said building a new hospital and a new senior housing lodge in St. Paul is among his top priorities.
During the Town of St. Paul council meeting on June 23, Cyr met with town council to discuss council's areas of concerns including health and senior housing infrastructure.
"St. Paul is in dire need for a new lodge," he said, while acknowledging Sunnyside Manor also requires renovations.
"I’ve toured the lodge [Sunnyside Manor] three times now [and] it's shocking that we have any rooms inside . . . within a government-funded building, that don’t have a window," said Cyr.
The MD of St. Paul Foundation has been working on a $50 million project to renovate Sunnyside Manor. The project received commitments from the town, the County of St. Paul, the Town of Elk Point, as well as an $8 million conditional approval from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
The conditional approval includes ensuring a provincial grant, which the project is still waiting for.
Bed shortage is also a problem at senior homes, and Cyr said he is working with Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Jason Nixon to address the challenge.
According to Cyr, when Nixon's office reached out to the Alberta Health Services (AHS) for data on how many beds there are, "They couldn't answer . . . which is awkward," he said, adding that the AHS will be able to respond within a year.
"That's interesting because you ask for that all the time when we meet . . . with all our hospitals," replied Mayor Maureen Miller.
Cyr agreed. "AHS and their frontline staff are remarkable, and I will tell you our local area is right on top of it. But I will say that it is a little shocking that AHS wouldn't know how many beds we have at a time, and how many bed blockers we have, and all that kind of information," he said.
St. Paul Hospital
Cyr addressed the state of the St. Paul Hospital, noting that with the Town of Beaverlodge's recent approval for a new hospital, St. Paul is now home to the oldest hospital in Alberta.
He said he will continue to advocate for a new hospital in St. Paul, but it might be more difficult to push that forward as a provincial priority due to the recent renovations in the emergency department at the hospital.
Coun. Brad Eamon asked why that would be, stating, “When I look at Grande Prairie getting an $850 million hospital for the region, and then 30 minutes down the road, Beaverlodge is getting a brand-new hospital… we just have a couple million dollars in renovations, and we’re going to have obstacles moving that needle?"
Cyr said he does not set the priorities, but is glad the hospital was still renovated, "because we needed that emergency room revisited."
"Having said that. That doesn't mean my advocacy is going to stop. I’m going to continue with my advocacy when it comes to the fact that St. Paul does need a new hospital," he added.
Cyr said he is also advocating for a new CT Scanner at the hospital and reached out to Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange for help, who requested more time. "What they are looking at is the capital list that AHS is putting forward," said Cyr.
He also commended the St. Paul Hospital Foundation for raising money to help purchase a new CT Scanner.
Cyr then encouraged the Town to consider requesting a meeting with relevant ministers to further discuss both health and senior housing infrastructure.
