Fred Payton
Prince Albert Historical Society
A committee was established locally in the early 1960s to study the needs of senior citizens living in the Prince Albert area. In the autumn of 1962, that committee reported that the most pressing need faced by those seniors was low rental housing. A meeting was held on October 15th of that year to explain this need, and to gain the support of the municipal bodies within the Prince Albert Heath Region. The supervisor of Low Rental Housing for the Provincial Department of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mr. M.W. Sturby, addressed the meeting and explained the various projects which had been developed for senior citizens within the province, as well as how to establish such a project and the method by which it could be funded. Those attending the meeting endorsed the idea.
Subsequent to this meeting, a survey, with a response date set at November 16th, was sent to 300 seniors regarding housing needs, and only 49 had been returned by November 14th. In a news release printed in the Prince Albert Daily Herald on November 14th, the committee encouraged the seniors to complete the questionnaire and return it to Dr. Robert Woodrow, the Medical Health Officer for the Prince Albert Health Region.
At the meeting held November 19th at the Holy Family Hospital School of Nursing, the Northern Housing Development Company was formed. The following municipalities affirmed their interest in the project by committing to its funding as follows: City of Prince Albert ($24,000), Village of Big River ($678), the Local Improvement District ($2,288), the R.M. of Shellbrook ($1,400), the R.M. of Buckland ($2,045), the R.M. of Duck Lake ($500), the R.M. of Prince Albert ($3,293), and the R.M. of Birch Hills ($500).
When Central Housing and Mortgage investigated the need for the facility, it was determined that a suitable project would be 24 units for married couples, 26 bachelor units, and a hostel for 50 individuals.
A site location was required, and it was determined that 701 – 13th Street West in Prince Albert would be suitable.
This location had a lengthy history in the community. The property had originally been owned by Lawrence Clarke, the chief factor for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and he lived in a three-storey home situated on it. In 1885 he sold it for $1.00 to be used as a school for the young women of the community. They were to be taught by the Sisters of the Order of the Faithful Companions of Jesus. In the McPhillips’ Directory of 1888, it was noted that the citizens of Prince Albert had not allowed religious considerations to prevent their children from enjoying the benefits of training in that excellent institution.
With other educational options becoming available in Prince Albert, the attendance at the school dwindled, and the Faithful Companions of Jesus moved to Duck Lake in 1895 to assist in the running of St. Michael’s Student Residence. This left the building vacant, and it soon became the home of an orphanage, St. Patrick’s. A fire in the building in 1947 resulted in a need to vacate the premises, resulting in its availability nearly 20 years later for the construction and establishment of low rental housing for seniors.
It was originally estimated that the cost of the project would be $693,141, with Central Mortgage and Housing providing $446,400 (which would be repayable), the Province providing $138,628 (non-repayable), and the contributing municipalities paying $49,653. As a Winter Works project, an additional $50,000 would be contributed.
Most of the construction was completed by local firms, including HDP Construction as the general contractor, paving by Barzeele and Burkosky, hardware from Fayerman Brothers, paint and cleaning equipment from Bradbury’s Hardware, building supplies from Beaver Lumber, and other work from companies such as Tru-Mix Concrete, Tash’s Floor Coverings, Thorpe Brothers, Houle Electric, and Ruszkowski Construction.
Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Provincial government could be relied upon for the capital costs of the buildings, but there were no grants available for the purchase of furnishings. The married couples’ quarters and the bachelor suites were each provided with stoves and refrigerators, and each four units shared provided laundry facilities. Each couple provided their own furniture. However, municipalities, service clubs, community organisations, and individuals were relied upon for the cost of furnishings for the hostel, a total cost of $30,000.
Costs for the hostel included $1,800 for the solarium, $2,500 for the dining room, $2,100 for the main lounge, $1,000 for the recreation area, $400 each for the single rooms (of which there were 46), and $600 for each of the four double rooms. The matron’s suite was to be furnished at a cost of $800.
When the facility was officially opened in June, 1965, all of the married couple units were completed and rented for $49 per month, with $5 a month for light. The bachelor units were also completed and occupied, with rental costs of $39 and $4 for light. Rental rates were based on the income of the renters. Couples could earn up to $2,280 annually, and individuals in the bachelor units could earn up to $1,680.
In the hostel there were four double rooms, 46 single rooms, and 16 special care rooms. The monthly charges for rooms were as follows: double room costs were $70 per person, and single rooms were $ 80 per person. Special care rooms were $95 per person. These rooms included some assistance with personal care, but were not intended for nursing care.
An admissions committee composed of representatives from the participating municipalities were entrusted to make allocation of the units. A staff of 11 persons was hired to ensure the effective operation of the entire project.
Some of the individuals living at Pineview Terrace when it officially opened in June, 1965, were Henry Ridge of Craik, Sam Moldowen of Kalyna, Herbert Weeden of Northside, and Albert Hewitt of Brightholme. Each of them, when interviewed, indicated how much they enjoyed living in the facility, how good the food was, and how pleasant it was to have the opportunity to socialize with others.
The original facility functioned until 2014, when it was relocated to a new facility near the Victoria Hospital. The original buildings are still utilized as a seniors’ facility, although it is now a private company operating it as Green Hill Lodge and Suites.
I wonder if the spirits of the six young girls who died in the St. Patrick’s Orphanage fire in 1947 still visit any of the current residents?
