The Portage la Prairie Rotary Club traveled to the new assisted living centre on Dufferin Avenue for a tour of the new facility.

Vice-chair of the Portage Assisted Living Corporation and Rotary Club member Vern Crandell says the initial funding the club was able to donate was instrumental in getting the 10-year, $18 million project off the ground. He notes when he first signed up for the job, he was under a different impression regarding the timeframe.

“When I first came on the board, I kind of looked and said in four or five years we should have this up and running,” says Crandell. “It didn't quite work out that way, but, now that we're at the finish line, more or less, it’s very fulfilling to see the fruits of your labour.”

He explains that despite the process being slower than they anticipated, COVID-19 actually didn’t slow them down too much, as all workers had to follow strict rules. The longest delay actually happened due to the closing of the highways, resulting in a lack of workers being able to get to Portage.

He mentions the facility has 50 of its 53 apartments already filled with the first residents moving in at the beginning of February.

“I'd just like to say thanks for all the support we've had from the community,” adds Crandell. “We are planning on having an open house sometime in the not too distant future. We'll get the word out there on that and show people just what we've done here, I think they’ll be impressed.”