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Woodlands County seeking meeting with Bridge to Care over proposed Fort Assiniboine facility

Christian-based organization wants to convert old Trident Exploration building into therapeutic treatment facility for youth
Trident Exploration (VM)
Bridge to Care, a Christian-based non-profit organization, plans to convert the old Trident Exploration office in Fort Assiniboine to a treatment centre. The office building has sat empty since the company ceased operations in April 2019.

Woodlands County councillors have a number of unanswered questions and conflicting information in regards to a proposed "permanent supportive housing” facility in the hamlet of Fort Assiniboine that was originally pitched to the municipality as senior’s housing. 

In order to address these concerns, county councillors passed a motion at their April 6 meeting to invite Praise Abraham, the CEO of Bridge of Care, to a future special council meeting. 

Bridge to Care is a Christian-based non-profit organization planning to utilize the old Trident Exploration building in Fort Assiniboine for a therapeutic treatment facility. 

CAO Gordon Frank said he would reach out to Abraham and determine if he was willing to attend a special meeting. He would then contact council to set up a date. 

The subject of Bridge to Care’s proposed facility was brought up by Coun. Dale Kluin, who represents the Fort Assiniboine area. 

Kluin noted that the county's Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) had received an application last fall to convert the empty Trident Exploration office in Fort Assiniboine into senior’s housing. (The office has sat empty since the company ceased operations in April 2019.) 

While he wasn’t part of that discussion, Kluin had found out about the project afterwards after hearing from Fort Assiniboine residents who felt this would be good for the community. 

Originally, the impetus for this project was that Bridge to Care had done some research and determined there was a need for senior’s housing in the area. Kluin indicated that was surprising to him, as he sits on the board for Hillcrest Lodge and wasn’t aware of any significant need for senior’s housing in Fort Assiniboine. 

Still, he acknowledged that any project like this would likely be good for the community, as the Trident Exploration building was otherwise just sitting there unused. 

But then Bridge to Care seemingly changed its plans. In the April 6 edition of the Town & Country This Week, Abraham stated that the organization now wants to convert the building into a therapeutic treatment facility for youth ages nine to 15 who have special needs and behavioural challenges. 

However, Kluin said he had heard from other people that Bridge to Care plans on also treating older people with drug addictions and mental health problems. 

Either way, this is “totally different than what they applied for,” Kluin said, noting he was now getting “a whole whack of calls” from residents in the community concerned about this proposed facility. 

While Bridge to Care had an open house planned for April 10, it has since been announced via Facebook that the event had been cancelled. 

However, even when it was still slated to happen, Kluin said he was uncertain how many people would attend the open house due to concerns over COVID-19. 

Kluin suggested that before the project went any further, the county "put a hold” on any further development until they got some of these questions answered. 

“In my opinion, this needs to come back to not only the community but to this council (for them to tell us) exactly what they want to do,” he said. 

Coun. Ron Govenlock said Kluin had taken the words right out of his mouth regarding this situation, adding that as a member of the MPC, he felt “very betrayed” and doubtful whether or not the information given to them was accurate. 

He said there was no reason for Fort Assiniboine residents to push back against a senior’s facility, but they were now protesting because what they were originally told was inaccurate. 

“It’s very Important that we address the issue before it gets ingrained,” he said. 

Manager of planning and development Joan Slootweg acknowledged that the original development application did specify senior’s housing, but in conversations with the applicant, county administration found that this service was only one of a variety of services the organization offered. 

As such, they had the applicant change the intended use of the facility to “permanent supportive housing” in the event that it wasn’t utilized just by seniors. She said she also believed the MPC was fully aware of this change. 

She noted that based on conversations with Alberta Health Services (AHS), Bridge to Care would need to establish 25 rooms just to make the building into a viable senior’s housing facility. 

Slootweg said she had received several calls from residents on this issue and suggested she could have the applicant provide more information to the public, such as through an open house. That’s what prompted the April 10 event. 

However, she warned that the county doesn’t have the authority to regulate any conditions put in place by Alberta Health Services for this facility and could only act if Bridge to Care was contravening the conditions of its development permit. 

As the organization had just acquired the title to the parcel and was just starting renovations inside the building, there was nothing yet to stop, she noted. 

Coun. Dale McQueen then suggested that the best way to approach this issue was to invite Praise Abraham to meet with council and answer some questions. This meeting could also be livestreamed in order to get information out to the public. 

McQueen said he also had some reservations about the project and found it unusual that so many people in the area had more information about what was going on than council.

Kevin Berger, TownandCountryToday.com

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