Michener North Lands with remediation complete (rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By Alessia Proietti

Meeting current needs

Remediation complete at Red Deer’s Michener North Lands; final step is City purchase

Jan 12, 2024 | 4:09 PM

The Government of Alberta has confirmed that remediation is now complete for the Michener North Lands and is ready to be sold to the City of Red Deer.

Brendan Procé, Communications Director for Alberta Infrastructure, said the project, consisting of demolition of buildings and remediation of the land, took two years to complete.

The project, announced in late 2020, would involve hazardous material removal, and demolition of utilities and all 28 major structures.

Work on abatement and demolition began in spring 2021 and was completed in October 2022.

READ: All buildings demolished, site cleanup underway at Michener North site in Red Deer

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Wade Martens, Land Coordinator for the City, says the provincial government needs to finalize a few reports before they sit down together to work out purchasing details and pricing. In 2021, the City put aside $10 million for purchasing of the land and he expects negotiations to take place by mid-2024, with the full purchase by the end of the year.

READ: Demolition of Michener North buildings expected this spring

Procé says the site now consists of green space including walkways, grassy areas, and trees and there are no limitations as to what can be built on the site.

The City says on their Engage Red Deer website that public engagement on what to do with the site is expected in 2024. A multi-use aquatic facility has already been approved by council to be on the 132 acre-site.

READ: Aquatic centre to be built at Michener North

Martens says, while he doesn’t have a date confirmed, public consultations may take place in late 2024 or early 2025.

City officials say the land has deep roots in Red Deer’s history, park space, and access to the Waskasoo trail system.

HISTORY

In a YouTube video about the site, former Councillor Michael Dawe explains how the site was initially a provincial training school that opened in 1923 for the care and housing of children and adults with developmental disabilities. He says that while certain practices at the institution would not be accepted today, he added there was an emphasis placed on education, vocational training, and life skills so individuals can be transferred back into the community, with help in finding a supportive place to live and employment.

READ: Michael Dawe, beloved Red Deer city councillor and historian, passes away at 67

Dawe says the facility held 300 to 2,300 residents at its peak, adding that some residents, like those with learning disabilities for example, would not be admitted today.

He said as they began to transition people away from the “institutionalized” setting into more communal living like group homes, the site became more of a service hub.

MEETING TODAY’S NEEDS

The provincial government’s Michener Services currently operates 23 licensed supportive living homes in Red Deer for persons with developmental disabilities who have a range of medical, behavioral and mobility needs. It also provides 24/7 supports to these individuals in their own homes, assist with daily living needs, and in accessing supports within the community.

Heather Barlow, Press Secretary for the Office of the Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, said the provincial government also has The Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program that provides a range of supports and services for eligible individuals to help them live as independently as possible in their community.

“PDD prioritizes services for individuals with critical and urgent needs. The PDD program provides funding for staffing supports, not for housing. Individuals are responsible for their personal costs, including housing. Eligible Albertans choose where they want to live and may live independently, with family/support networks and in supported living arrangements depending on their individual needs and abilities,” she said in a statement.

For housing, she says the provincial government has been increasing affordable housing stock, with a $9 billion investment through their Stronger Foundations plan to build 25,000 affordable housing units across the province by 2031.

In Red Deer, since 2019 the Alberta government says they have invested $1.7 million for capital maintenance and renewal to repair and maintain units, as well as $18.2 million in operating funding for housing providers. They also invested $28 million to complete the Bridges Community Living (BCL) Piper Creek Lodge project for 90 affordable seniors housing units.

READ: Red Deer’s newest seniors living facility now open

Geoff Olson, Executive Director of BCL, says their accommodations house numerous individuals with developmental disabilities as they are accepted based on the same criteria as all other residents.

“I think in Red Deer especially, we must remember that they have been living in the community now for decades and so they have developed the supports to not just live in our buildings but many other apartment and retirement homes across the city. Most people with developmental disabilities who live in the community do not have complex behavior or medical conditions that would prohibit them from living any kind of independent living environment,” he said.

For individuals who require supported living or group home supports, Barlow states they typically access these services through contracted and private service providers, like Parkland C.L.A.S.S in central Alberta and Entrust in Calgary and Edmonton.

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