Hospice Society, WHMB host community meetings to discuss ongoing project

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Wheatland and Area Hospice Society and Wheatland Housing Management Board (WHMB) are hosting a series of community presentations to discuss the details of the community hospice/lodge project. 

Presentations were scheduled in Rockyford, Hussar, Strathmore, Gleichen, Standard, Cheadle, Carseland, and Lyalta, between April 9-24, taking place at community centers in each respective municipality. 

“Not only is hospice a medical responsibility, it is also a community responsibility. The idea of developing our community, their awareness, their buy in, their knowledge of the breadth of hospice and palliative care takes some education,” said Joni McNeely, chair of the Wheatland and Area Hospice Society. “Our community presentations teach people what hospice is and how they can become involved and how they can support our project.”

The presentation in Strathmore, April 12, was the third presentation to have taken place in the series. McNeely said responses from respective communities to the hospice presentations have been positive.

Glenn Koester, director of the WHMB, said the public has been largely very understanding regarding the budget process for the project, and have been patient as the WHMB works to lock down its final cost estimates.

“I think generally the people realize that we are developing a proforma, trying to get to the final budget numbers, and we do not know until we know,” he said. “There is a path we have to follow, so to say, so we are on that path. When we started, it was an average. Three outfits built the lodge, they added it up, divided it by three and said it costs so much to build the lodge … we said we wanted 120 beds, they said it should cost this number.”

Koester explained the initial cost estimates received by the WHMB were utilized throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, through price spikes and notable inflation, though cuts have had to be made from the original plans to the final planned blueprints. 

Currently, the WHMB is awaiting confirmation from the Province of Alberta as to whether their application for Affordable Housing Partnership Program (AHPP) grant funding is successful, as well as how much they would be receiving. 

One of the ongoing dilemmas is in regards to the province highly favouring projects for grant funding that are considered to be “shovel ready.” 

Prior to approaching the province, Koester explained the aim is to bring the hospice project to a Class A budget in order to increase the likelihood of being awarded a provincial grant. 

A Class A budget refers to that of a project for which development bids have been received, evaluated, and verified, and a contract has been awarded.

“I think we have to have a voice up in Edmonton, we have to appear confident that we have a good project and I am certainly impressed with our community being behind us,” added McNeely. 

“A little bit of the ask for people to write up to their ministers is about an agitate, but really what we are doing here is we’re orchestrating, we are giving the government of Alberta an example, we are giving them a win, we are giving them a project that they can hold and replicate throughout the province.”

As of print publication, community meetings of this series by the WHMB and Wheatland and Area Hospice Society have yet to be held in Carseland (scheduled Apr. 22) and Lyalta (scheduled Apr. 24).