Minister of Health visits Morinville

Alberta’s Minister of Health Gene Zwozdesky talks to 104-year-old Aspen House resident Dora Nadon during a tour of the facility Tuesday morning. – MorinvilleNews.com Photo

By MorinvilleNews.com Staff

Morinville – The Honourable Gene Zwozdesky, Alberta’s Minister of Health, stopped in Morinville Tuesday morning to take a tour of Aspen House, both the existing facility and a soon-to-be-opened addition to the seniors’ facility. Zwozdesky was accompanied by Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Honourable Ken Kowalski.

During their brief Morinville stop, the two MLAs had an opportunity to see the operation as it exists and learn of plans for the expanded facility and beyond. Aspen House currently has 44 units; the addition will add another 28 to that number. Plans are in the works for a potential third phase to the seniors’ facility, allowing an even greater number of residents to age in place.

“Aspen House appears to be a phenomenal facility that’s filling a very great need in the local community,” the minister said, adding he was pleased to be able to tour the facility with Kowalski and see the plans for Aspen House. “It’s the way to go – aging in place – so that people can stay in the community. The services will change to match their rising needs and I think the operator is doing a great job out here.”

Morinville Mayor Lloyd Bertschi, who accompanied the two MLAs on the tour, said he was pleased to have the Minister of Health visit the town. “It’s great to have an MLA that can get the support of the ministers to come out,” Bertschi said, noting Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette’s recent visit to Morinville with Kowalski. “I think it’s great to be able to show him that this aging in place is critical for people to stay in our community as well as to show him the missing piece, and that’s the long-term care facility. That would be the last piece we could use to have a really great complex.”

After leaving Morinville Zwozdesky and Kowalski travelled to Barrhead and Westlock to visit healthcare facilities in those two communities.

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2 Comments

  1. I love seeing high-ranking officials visit places where they can interact with the people living there, especially seniors like Dora Nadon in the photo. She was probably thrilled that somebody important was paying attention while the Minister of Health got to gleen information from a resident. I wonder which one had better stories to tell about the experience? 🙂

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