Rest Haven awarded renovation funds

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This article was published 25/02/2018 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As Rest Haven personal care home take steps towards a major new expansion, the provincial government has stepped forward with funding to allow for upgrades at its existing facility, as part of $30 million in investment throughout the province announced Monday.

HavenGroup CEO David Driedger said the facility funding amounts to about $450,000 and will allow for upgrades to the Rest Haven’s dining room heating, ventilation and air conditioning and associated building controls system modernization, as well as flooring replacement in the dining hall and main public areas.

He noted the existing flooring has been in place since construction in 1984.

“So, we’re more than 30 years into it and it’s time to replace it,” Driedger said.

The work should take place within the next year and will keep larger expansion plans in mind.

“It will match what we need today but also for the future,” Driedger said.

That planning for Rest Haven’s 140-bed expansion plan, which will translate into a net gain of 80 PCH beds for the community, is now well underway.

Driedger said a schematic design for the PCH expansion is expected to be completed by the end of March. Another round of government approvals will follow that, he said, before more detailed design work can begin.

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen, who announced the funding at Rest Haven on Monday morning, signaled the investment as a sign of the province’s continued support for Rest Haven’s growth.

“I think this work would have had to be done anyway, but certainly I think that this indicates that the long-term future of the project is important…investment here is a long-term commitment,” he said.

Safety and security projects are also funded entirely by government, unlike the personal care home project which requires a community contribution.

“This is one less thing that they have to fundraise for specifically,” Goertzen noted.

Other projects to receive funding in the Southeast include controls software upgrades at Oakbank’s Kinplace Personal Care Home, domestic hot water boiler replacement at the Red River Valley Lodge in Morris, air conditioning replacement, emergency generator room modifications and mold remediation in Vita, and sprinkler installations at Whitemouth District Health Centre and personal care home.

Ste Anne hospital will complete attic ventilation ductwork and insulation upgrades, while Villa Youville has secured funds for air conditioning compressor unit and well water pump replacement. 

Bethesda Hospital will receive funding for roof replacement work, electrical transformer replacement, and lab and phlebotomy cooling system upgrades. The Steinbach hospital will also receive funds for a preventive system to protect against infant abductions.

“The new baby abduction monitoring system is just sort of part of the reality of the world that we live in unfortunately,” Goertzen said.