Bridge to Care is a not-for-profit Christian-based organization which provides a wide variety of healthcare and support programs for seniors, children and people with physical, developmental disabilities, mental health and addictions issues. It plans to open a supportive-living facility in the hamlet.
The organization also has offices and facilities in Edmonton, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Whitecourt, Onoway and Red Deer.
Chief economic officer and director Praise Abraham said they purchased the building, which has been vacant for more than a year after Trident's demise, with hopes of converting it to a seniors living facility.
However, he said upon further inspection they deemed it wasn't suitable for that purpose and decided to make it a youth therapeutic treatment facility for children from nine to 15 years old with special needs and behaviour challenges.
Abraham said Bridge-to-Care's team of medical specialists, including occupational and physiotherapists, will be working with the children one-on-one and in groups settings.
"We are still working on the program and the details," he said but noted it would be tailored specifically for the needs of the child, adding programs will likely be six months or a year in duration. "Again, it depends on their needs. They could be there for a relatively short time or it could be more of a long-term stay."
However, their Facebook page states the programs will follow a behavioural-family systems approach.
Abraham noted the majority of the children at the facility, which will be able to accommodate up to 10 to 15 children (their Facebook page said it will be a 20-bed facility), will mostly come from outside the community potentially from all over the province, but more than likely from Northern Alberta.
Bridge-to-Care will be holding an open house from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on April 10, to meet with Fort Assiniboine residents.
Unfortunately due to public health restrictions, attendance will be limited to about 25 at any given time. To accommodate any overflow, plans are being made to have a series of online chats.
In the original information package Bridge to Care submitted as part of its development application, in September 2020, they characterized the proposed facility as being for permanent senior supportive housing, providing in-house services such as recreation, meal preparation and laundry and hairstyling.
It also stated that they chose Fort Assiniboine because Bridge to Care has "identified a growing seniors population in the area".
"The prospect of having to potentially relocate to an assisted living home outside of locality and familiarity can lead to anxiety and depression in the vulnerable senior populace. Our organization endeavours to preserve the client's wishes in remaining as close to friends and family as possible, while proving a home away from home environment."
Woodlands County Coun. Dale Kluin said he was surprised by the organization's change of heart.
"I have to go to the open house myself to see why they are making the change," he said, encouraging other Fort Assiniboine area residents to do the same. "There was a lot of support in the community when they thought it was going to be a seniors' facility, but now it is going to be for children with special needs, there are some concerns. We don't have a lot of young people, there are about 150 people in the hamlet, so there won't be any local kids or very few that will use it, nor do we have the people trained that these young people will need, so there is a lot of questions that need to be answered."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
