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Vol. 19, No. 3, Wednesday, December 6, 2023 www.LamontLeader.com
New long-term care centre on the horizon for Lamont BY JANA SEMENIUK A plan to rebuild the Lamont Health Care Centre’s (LHCC) long term care, 10 years in the making, is finally coming to fruition through a $43.8 million grant from the provincial government. LHCC board chair Kent Harrold beamed as he read from the letter, received Oct. 13, notifying them of the grant approval. “I am pleased to inform you that Lamont Health Care Centre has been conditionally approved for a grant funding up to a maximum of $43.8 million dollars to support the new development of 93 continuing care spaces’,” he read. “Now, isn't that a nice letter to get?” Harrold said health minister Adriana LaGrange toured the LHCC on Oct.3, including the long-term care sections; the Auxiliary Wing, built in 1963, and the Nursing Home Wing, built in 1971. Harrold said both older sections of the hospital are in desperate need of a replacement. “(It was) to show her that we were really concerned about the community and also that we were doing some good things. We are the third busiest surgery in the region,” he said. “It's (also) important to get the long-term care (building) replaced because it just doesn't suit folks anymore. People
Lamont Health Care Centre Chief Executive Officer Shahad Bharmal, LHCC Board member and hospital historian Trudy Harrold, and LHCC Board Chair Kent Harrold. want privacy (and) the idea that dad would be moving in with someone else and sharing bathrooms and that sort of thing just (doesn’t) go anymore.” According to the province’s website, one in five Albertans will be over the age of 65 by 2046 totalling more than 1.2 million people, pushing the need for continuing care. The government committed $310 million over three years in Budget 2023 for the multiple grant streams within the Continuing Care Capital Program. LHCC Chief Executive Officer Shahad Bharmal said discussions around replacing the long-term care centre have been ongoing since approximately 2012. In terms of planning, Harrold said that a complete plan still needs to be
put together by their architects, JMAA Architects, and official ground-breaking could happen in early 2025. He added that although the new facility will have a lower capacity, 93 beds instead of the current 105, it will be completely modernized and built to encompass current technology. He said Alberta Health Services has shared some structuring concepts, using their experiences through the COVID pandemic as a guide. “(One possibility is) instead of having a communal dining area, for example, for 75 people or whatever, these (could) be built into pods of 14 (seniors),” said Harrold, adding that modern air circulation will also be worked into the design. Harrold said that during construc-
tion, which is expected to last up to five years, seniors will remain in the current facility while the new facility is being built nearby. Once construction is complete and the seniors and staff are moved, the old building will be demolished. Meanwhile, CEO Bharmal said LHCC is a faith-based hospital and news of the funding is exciting. He said the new facility will help ensure seniors in Lamont will be taken care of for a long time. “Thank God the government came up with a plan. We've (LHCC) been here 110 years (and) I want it to go for another 110 years,” he said. “We need to provide the care to our seniors the way we like it and in the way our religion teaches us to care for our elders with the values we carry with us; the teachings of Jesus Christ (and) Christianity.” Lamont mayor Kirk Perrin echoed Bharmal’s statements. “The Lamont Health Care Centre's $43.8 million grant is not only a significant boost for healthcare services in our town but also contributes to broader regional healthcare improvements,” he said. “The replacement of two wings showcases Lamont's commitment to providing top-notch healthcare facilities for its residents.”
Dow announces massive $11.2. billion expansion in Fort Saskatchewan BY JOHN MATHER Dow Chemical announced Nov. 28, it was proceeding with its $6.5 billion Path2Zero project in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland at its existing Fort Saskatchewan site. The project will be the world’s first net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions integrated ethylene cracker and derivatives facility. By the time the project is completed final costs are expected to be in the $11.2 billion neighbourhood.
Promoted as the world’s first netzero emissions ethylene cracker and derivatives site of its kind, the project was first proposed in 2021. Part of the $11.2 billion includes $2.7 billion from partner companies. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Nov. 29, the province will provide a 12 per cent grant as high as $1.8 billion, divided into three rebates over three years of production, through its Alberta Petrochemical Incentive Program (APIP).
“We applaud Dow for sanctioning this significant capital project in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland,” said Mark Plamondon, executive director of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association. “This investment signals that Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is a flagship global destination where companies can achieve both their economic and environmental goals.” It will also be the first to access federal investment tax credits targeted at
carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) and clean hydrogen worth up to $400 million. The project aims to reduce emissions by the equivalent of about one million metric tonnes of CO2 per year using carbon capture and storage, while converting hydrogen to power the site’s furnaces. The company said it would begin construction in 2024. Continued on Page 14