Strathmore Care Community reaches major construction milestone

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Construction of the Strathmore Care Community reached a major milestone Aug. 25 as local and provincial representatives gathered inside the future continuing care facility for its official topping off ceremony.

The $45-million project is expected to open in May 2027 with 96 spaces, including 54 long-term care spaces, 36 supportive living spaces and six hospice spaces. Of the supportive living spaces, 18 are planned for memory care.

For Doug Murphy, president and CEO of Shasta Senior Living, seeing the building reach this stage comes after a journey that began nearly six years ago.

“We began this marathon in September 2020,” Murphy said during the ceremony. “Together and separately, we worked through a worldwide pandemic, rapidly rising interest rates, escalating construction costs, tariffs and a whole lot of legislative changes.”

Murphy said the project is expected to create the equivalent of 75 to 80 full-time jobs in Strathmore once operational. Those positions will include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, health-care aides as well as food service, housekeeping and maintenance staff.

Initially aiming for a February 2027 opening, it has now been adjusted to May 2027, due to routine delays such as securing steel. Murphy said the construction crew has been working days and weekends to get the project on track

“It’s taken a long time to get to where we are and it’s good to be able to finally show it off a little bit,” Murphy said.

The project carries a personal connection for Murphy. He and his late wife Betty Ann lived in Strathmore for 14 years and spent their careers working in continuing care. Murphy said he and his wife were passionate about hospice care.

“This is what we’ve always done, continuing care; and Betty Ann was very passionate about hospice care,” he said. “That’s part of the reason that we responded to the request for proposal.”

Unlike many of the larger centres where Murphy has previously developed and operated facilities, Strathmore was different. 

“This was kind of one closer to the heart,” he said.

MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore, Chantelle de Jonge, told those gathered the facility will serve more than the town itself.

“I know the Strathmore Care Community is going to be an important project not just for the town but really for this region, because when it’s completed, it’ll give seniors and families in our aging communities continuing care closer to home and to their kids, to the grandkids,” de Jonge said.

Alberta Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, Nathan Neudorf, also attended the ceremony and described the project as an important addition to continuing care in the region.

“Continuing care spaces are more than just buildings. They are homes and they are places where Albertans can receive the care and support they need while remaining connected to the people and communities that matter most, and often, they lived in for many, many years,” Neudorf said.

He added the need for care will continue to grow alongside Strathmore and its surrounding communities.

“It will give seniors and their family’s greater access and care close to home, and in a setting designed to meet their needs with both dignity and compassion,” Neudorf said.

Former Wheatland County reeve Amber Link reflected on watching the proposal develop from its early stages through the challenges that followed.

“When I think about this project, I don’t actually think first about the building,” Link said. “Doug, one of the things that struck me most the very first time we met was your heart. It became clear very quickly that this wasn’t simply a development project for you.”

She said the significance of the Strathmore project goes beyond its number of beds.

“It’s about someone from Strathmore or Wheatland County being able to receive the care they need while remaining part of the community they love,” Link said. “It’s about spouses and children and grandchildren being able to visit. And it’s about dignity.”

For Murphy, that need is already apparent. He said he understands there could be between 80 and 100 people in the area currently waiting for the levels of care the new facility will provide.

Admission will be handled through Assisted Living Alberta with prospective residents assessed and approved through the provincial system. Murphy stressed residents will pay the same provincially-established accommodation rates as they would at comparable facilities elsewhere in Alberta.

The six hospice spaces are another important part of the project and will provide an option that has not previously been available locally.

During the topping off ceremony, Chief Development Officer Sean O’Gorman explained the centuries-old tradition of marking the point when a building reaches its highest structural point. Historically, an evergreen or tree would be placed at the top of a structure as a sign of respect for the land and recognition of the people who built it.

The Strathmore project put its own spin on the tradition. Guests signed a piece of structural steel, and a tree was planted at the site to grow alongside the care community.

“A tree begins with strong roots. For this project, those roots are the community of Strathmore and the people who have helped make this vision possible,” O’Gorman said. “Ultimately, a building is only concrete, steel, wood and blocks. What truly brings this building to life are the people who will call it home.”

As construction continues toward next spring, Murphy said reaching the topping off milestone gives the team confidence that the long-planned facility is moving closer to becoming a home.

“Just that we’ve got it to where it is and we know that we’re going to be able to finish it,” Murphy said. “We’re going to be able to look after close to 100 people in Strathmore for the next 30 or 40 years.”