NDP Opposition Health Critic David Shepherd

By Lara Fominoff

Province’s NDP calls for UCP government’s commitment to new assisted living facility

Aug 20, 2019 | 2:29 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – UPDATE: A spokesperson for Health Minister Tyler Shandro says the project is scheduled to proceed as agreed upon. Here is the response:

“This project is proceeding as planned, according to a funding agreement for $10 million signed with Alberta Health in 2018. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, 2020-21, as per the funding agreement. Our government has no intention of changing the project and we have given no signal of any such intention to Covenant or anyone else involved.”

Lethbridge has the province’s fastest growing senior’s population and badly needs extra assisted living units says NDP Health Critic David Shepherd.

Shepherd was in Lethbridge Tuesday, to talk about a letter just sent to Housing Minister Josephine Pon and Health Minister Tyler Shandro, calling on the province to honour the previous government’s commitment of $10 million for construction for a new Covenant Health 100 bed facility on the city’s west side

“We recognize there have been pressures on the community in Lethbridge for some time now, we know that we have hospital beds that are continually full with people that are waiting for placement in long term care. We know that we have families whose loved ones are being sent to other communities outside of Lethbridge because there is no space for them here.”

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He says Covenant Health itself has committed $16 million dollars to the project.

“My understanding is that $3 million has already flowed through to Covenant Health. They’ve invested $2.3 million already in planning, development and land acquisition.”

However, the letter of clarification was sent Tuesday, Aug. 20, and it doesn’t appear as though either minister has had a chance to read the letter or to respond to it.

The UCP government has also said it doesn’t plan to release its budget until this fall- likely October, and during a previous communication to MLA Phillips regarding funding for a new Performing Arts Centre, Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda indicated that the province is at this time prioritizing projects, and may consider some now, but others in the future.

Sheppard says the province has committed to some projects already though.

“So far, this government has made some commitments on a number of fronts, certainly they’ve been ready to commit $30 million for a War Room, they’ve been willing to commit $4.5 billion for corporate tax cuts over the next four years. I think it’s reasonable that we ask for some clarity on this particular project.”

Lethbridge News Now has reached out to both the Housing Minister and Health Minister for comment.