The stand-alone facility will be built down the road from Hythe’s Pioneer Homes seniors lodge and will provide a range of health services based on the needs of residents as they age in their home community. The project is expected to create 40 construction jobs at its peak and spark the local economy as Alberta emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. About 75 full- and part-time staff are expected to work at the site when it opens.
“This is great news for the community of Hythe and the surrounding area. I’m very pleased to see construction start on a new continuing care facility that will mean seniors and others needing more health services as they age can stay in their community, surrounded by family and friends.”
Until now, seniors living in the Pioneer Homes seniors lodge and others needing continuing care services often had to move to another community to get higher levels of health care and services.
“The community of Hythe has been waiting a long time for this project and I’m glad our government is bringing it to fruition. Now seniors and families in the area will be able to stay in their community and enjoy the familiarity of home with friends and family.”
“Residents of Hythe and our surrounding communities have patiently waited and advocated for more continuing care spaces. I’m thrilled to see this project move forward. It is a much-needed investment into our community that will allow more of our parents, seniors and loved ones to age in place, while creating jobs when we need them most. Thank you to the government and – more importantly – thank you to the residents of Hythe and region for your patience and advocacy.”
“This new joint venture could not have happened without the collaboration of government, key partners and the local community. Looking ahead, the much-needed continuing care community in Hythe will provide immediate and long-term jobs, an economic boost to the community and new capacity for seniors in need of memory care in the Peace Region. For all of this, we are grateful.”
The government originally provided $3.9 million to Pioneer Homes in 2014-15 to build a 48-space continuing care facility attached to the seniors lodge. Construction began in 2016, but the project was paused in 2018 due to unexpected challenges, including bankruptcy of the main contractor, building design issues and weather damage.
Government is providing an additional $3.2 million to continue the development of a larger continuing care project, increasing the capacity beyond the original project scope by adding 27 more continuing care spaces to meet the future needs of Hythe and the surrounding area. Alberta Health Services has identified Hythe as a community that needs more spaces for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Demolition and site cleanup at the former construction site will begin this summer, depending on restrictions that remain in place as part of the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Residents of the Pioneer Homes seniors lodge will be able to remain in their home during the demolition.
Construction of the project should take about 17 months to complete and the facility is expected to open in late 2021.
Quick facts
- The new facility will be built to accommodate Designated Supportive Living Level 4, Level 4-Dementia and long-term care spaces to support different levels of personal and health-care needs.
- As of February 2020, Pioneer Homes has 11 people on a wait list for the existing seniors lodge facility.