Peace Hills Lodge
To some a beautiful new building but to the residents of Peace Hills Lodge it is a beautiful new hom
On July 20th, cars spilled onto both sides of the street for over a block from the entrance of the new Peace Hills Lodge. Others found parking spots in nearby roadways and neighboring parking lots. The huge number of guests attending the Grand Opening was an indication of the importance of this new facility to Wetaskiwin and region and was a tribute to our pioneers and seniors.
The Grand opening ceremonies were held July 20th, at the new Peace Hills Lodge in Wetaskiwin. Tasteful colors, beautiful woodwork and over-all, a beautiful and comfortable new home for seniors of Wetaskiwin and region creates a feeling of comfort and tranquility.
County Councilor and Chair of the Wetaskiwin & Area Lodge Authority Barry Dunn, explained it so well, “County Council asked me to sit on the Wetaskiwin Lodge Authority Board along with Garry Dearing and Brenda Shantz. When I got to the Board meeting I was elected Chair. This position became an honor and pleasure as I had the opportunity to work on something like this (the Peace Hills housing project).
The Lodge is a tremendous step towards future thinking. We have a nice, very beautiful building for seniors -- seniors that have worked so hard many years ago to build this community. Really, it was the homesteaders who came in here 100 years ago, 50 years ago and worked so hard to settle the area that should be receiving thanks for this building, not the politicians. The Lodge is a small token of our appreciation to them. We are giving back to them what they worked so hard for and worked so hard and long without (many amenities) to have something like this. It’s a small way of saying thank you to them.”
Located on a picturesque 4.25 acre parcel of land this new lodge houses 79 bright rooms, 6 of which are made for couples. This state of the art new lodge offers an atmosphere of privacy and the comforts of home, while providing a community environment where an independent lifestyle is encouraged.
The building was designed and built by STLESDI BROTHERS and PGA Architects more commonly known as Byron Reynolds and Chris Laing. They were commended by the dignitaries for the excellent job and the manner in which they worked with Wetaskiwin Lodge Authority and The Bethany Group to develop the property. STLESDI BROTHERS and PGA Architects were commended for designing and building the new Peace Hills Lodge on schedule and under budget.
This new building includes many environmentally friendly features including solar collectors that heat water and a geothermal heating system that takes advantage of the temperatures in the ground. These options will reduce the operational costs of heating and cooling systems and reduce our carbon foot print.
The total building cost was approximately $16.4 million, which represents an $8.2 million grant from Alberta Seniors and Community Supports and a 25 year, $8.2 million mortgage financed by County of Wetaskiwin through the Alberta Capital Finance Corporation.
.Bringing greetings and words of congratulations were:
Honourable Verlyn Olson, Minister of Justice, and MLA for Wetaskiwin-Camrose, representing the City of Wetaskiwin – Alderman Mark McFaul, representing the Town of Millet – Councillor Pat Garret,representing the County of Wetaskiwin – Reeve Garry Dearing, the Chair of the Wetaskiwin & Area Lodge Authority – Barry Dunn Dale Johnson – on behalf of Blaine Calkins, Member of Parliament for Wetaskiwin the residents of the Peace Hills Lodge.
Bethany Care Foundation (BCF) coordinates all fund development initiatives that support Bethany Care Society (BCS). BCS is a $78+M organization operating throughout central and southern Alberta that offers continuing care, housing, and support services that celebrate an independent spirit of seniors and persons with disabilities.
Considering our aging population, Wetaskiwin and region is very fortunate to have a state-of-the-art facility like the Peace Hills Lodge to accommodate our Seniors in comfort and dignity.
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