A Miss Means a Hit

The passenger on this man’s motorcycle tossed a balloon filled with water up in an attempt to get it over the barbed wire barrier only to have it make it partway. Here’s the result. The fun was held on Saturday afternoon, August 21 south of town as a fourth annual memorial rally was underway. ©Provost News Photo. Print edition and more pictures in August 25 edition of The Provost News.Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.

Health Minister Urged to Support Extra Health Facilities Here
. . . New Housing Wing, Dementia/Alzheimer Unit, Other Needs Sought
Alberta’s Minister of Alberta Health and Wellness, Gary Mar was in Provost recently to get a first-hand look at existing health services, plans and possible expansion of services for the community.

Mar met with members of Provost and District Health Services Foundation on Wednesday, August 4 in the Provost Recreation and Culture Centre and came with MLA Doug Griffiths, who had organized the meeting and another one in town that day.

Chairman of the Foundation, Neil Whiting, welcomed the pair along with Zoé Kolbuc, assistant for the minister’s office. Whiting gave a brief overview of when and why the Foundation was established. Its mission is to ensure quality health services for Provost and area residents.

• Supportive Housing
The major thrust of the meeting was a request for provincial government funding for a supportive housing facility on hospital property. The Provost Senior Citizens Home Foundation is considering building 30 new condominium units and adding 30 residential units to the 58 units at Hillcrest Lodge. (The 10 Crestwood Place apartments are nearby.) The Town and M.D. of Provost will be responsible for arranging financing for these projects.

Meanwhile 36 nursing home beds and 10 assisted living units at the Health Care Centre are full and there is a waiting list. Nursing home beds were reduced in the mid 1990s and it is felt present beds cannot be cut further. Provost is an aging community and in future years this type of accommodation will be in demand.

Mar was told that the community needs a transitional facility between Hillcrest Lodge and Nursing Home care. The Foundation recommends a supportive housing wing be built. “We feel this is a definite need in the community as well as being a cost effective way to alleviate some of the shortage of long term care beds. A dementia/alzheimer unit, either in supportive housing or in existing facilities is also an identified community need” read a written report sent from the Foundation to The News. It also stated that “Without obtaining additional privileges for our local physicians and the addition of a supportive housing wing the Foundation’s vision to ensure future quality health care for our residents will not occur.

In achieving the financial commitments previously mentioned the Foundation worked with local physicians, regional authorities, The Town of Provost, the Municipal District of Provost, local businessmen and many community minded organizations. We have demonstrated that Provost is a community that has successfully met challenges in the past. Now we are faced with planning to meet future needs of seniors in the community. We need the support and cooperation of the Alberta government to make this happen.”