By Curtis Galbraith

Second Elders Caring Shelter coming to Grande Prairie

Dec 5, 2018 | 4:30 AM

Work on building a second Elders Caring Shelter in Grande Prairie is expected to start in January.
 
The 34 bed, four-storey facility will go up close to the existing one on 99 Avenue.
 
Angie Crerar with Metis Local 1990 says lobbying and planning for the new building have been going on for more than two years.
 
“We paid the mortgage off on our existing one and we don’t have enough room to do the job. There are so many people that have applied that we cannot help.”
 
She adds elders and seniors who need help are often forgotten.
 
“It’s so sad that we forget the people that have devoted their lives (to and) have helped shape this country. They get old, they’re forgotten. That’s not a proper way. We should never do that.”
 
Crerar says half of the people who came to the current shelter are back in the community.
 
“They have their own jobs, they have their own apartments, they got control of their own life, they got their power back. These are people that were being ignored, that were down on the street two-three years ago.”
 
Construction will take about two years.
 
The city will buy the land for $288,000 as part of a loan agreement with the Metis Local. Council approved this at Monday’s meeting.