Linda Cox,
Mayor,
Town of High Prairie
CH and Renewal Association

May 2-4, board members from Heart River Housing attended Congress 2017, a convention organized by the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association. This organization is the national voice for affordable housing and homelessness issues and solutions.
The congress provides an opportunity to learn, network and engage with a growing body of Canadian and international practitioners, policy makers, front line workers, government officials, and key stakeholders from across the affordable housing and homelessness sector.
Many of the panel discussions centred upon a national housing strategy. Federal investment in affordable housing enables the building of new social housing, repairing and maintaining existing social housing, and supporting people with rent subsidies and the support they need to stay housed.
Lesser Slave Watershed Council

May 11, I attended the regular board meeting of the LSWC in Kinuso. Business conducted included the adoption of previous minutes, treasurer’s report, financial updates and executive director updates.
The annual general meeting of the LSWC will be June 16 at the Faust Community Hall starting at 1 p.m. All interested are welcome to attend.
Health complex grand opening

May 12, I represented the Town of High Prairie at the grand opening of our new hospital. There were approximately 150 in attendance, listening to Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman, Lesser Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee, and other dignitaries from throughout our region speak on the partnerships and people who worked hard to bring this facility to High Prairie.
The High Prairie and District Health Foundation presented a cheque for $500,000 to pay for the CT scanner that is now operating in the new hospital. Since its soft opening in April, over 50 CT scans have already been performed.
The J.B. Wood Continuing Care is filling up fast; Reeve Ken Matthews thinks the 67 beds will be in use by the end of 2017 or for sure by 2018. So much for the province thinking 2020-22 before total utilization.