The St. Mary’s Villa Foundation is being proactive when it comes to a new St. Mary’s Villa building in Humboldt.
Executive director, Donna Muench, announced during the care facility’s 55th anniversary barbecue and concert that they will start gathering funds now, however, there are no definite plan of what that new building will look like or where it will be.
Approval from the Saskatchewan Health Authority may be years down the road, but Muench says they know a new building is needed and they want to have dollars in place.
“We have to start now. It took 20 years for the hospital. We’re just being proactive,” says Muench.
Infrastructure is a constant problem right now at the 85 resident facility, says Muench, with one wing not even being used because of infrastructure problems. The projected cost at one time of reopening Dust Wing was around $9 million to bring the wing up to code. We do not want that, says Muench.
“We want them to put the funds into a brand new facility.”
The aging facility is also missing some essentials in some rooms, including bathrooms.
That does not promote a home like environment, says Muench.
Long and St. Mary’s wings are both 55 years old with St. Joe’s Wing being the newest addition to the Villa being added in 1991.
Even with the foundation starting to raise funds for the new facility, they will still continue to raise funds for other residental needs, including enhancing the Kelly Weber lounge, sun room, and sitting area across from St. Mary’s Hall and other day to day needs of the residents.
