The Manitoba government has announced that shovels are in the ground and construction has begun on a new 95-bed personal care home in Lac du Bonnet.
“Manitoba’s seniors built our province. They worked hard and sacrificed to make life better for their children and their grandchildren, and now it’s our turn to take care of them,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “Seniors in Lac du Bonnet have been waiting far too long for a personal care home that will help them stay in their community, close to their family and support system. Today, we’re telling them our commitment is real. We’ve got shovels in the ground.”
Preparation for active construction began last week with the installation of a site trailer, fencing and a generator for the site. Skid steer and excavator mobilization has begun. The 95-bed facility will serve Lac du Bonnet and the surrounding communities, fulfilling one step in the government’s commitment to build more long-term care facilities throughout the province, noted the premier.
“We are another step closer to bringing more care to seniors and their families in the Lac du Bonnet area,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “When the previous government cancelled this project, it was a blow to the community and the folks who have been advocating for this for decades. I’m thrilled to be out here today with my hard hat and steel-toed boots, helping to erect the signs to signal to the community that the days of turning back on this project are over. Machinery is on site and digging has begun.”
The new facility in Lac du Bonnet is thanks to decades of advocacy from seniors and their families in the surrounding communities as well as leadership at the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, the Town of Lac du Bonnet and the Lac du Bonnet Heritage Corporation, the minister noted. To ensure seniors’ voices are always heard in Manitoba, the government recently passed the Senior’s Advocate Act that will uphold the rights and needs of seniors in this province for decades to come, added Asagwara.
