County council signs support letter for proposed Wheatland Lodge

Wheatland County council unanimously voted to sign a letter of support for the proposed Wheatland Lodge in Strathmore to strengthen an application to the Alberta Housing Partnership Program, while removing specific dollar amounts from the letter. The project needs AHPP grant funding to proceed, and a provincial announcement is expected in the second quarter.

Wheatland County council has renewed support for the proposed Wheatland Lodge project intended for Strathmore. The matter was raised at the Jan. 13 council meeting by Coun. Glenn Koester, who chairs the Wheatland Housing Management Board. Council approved sending a letter of support to accompany an application to the Alberta Housing Partnership Program. Without grant funding from the province, officials say the project cannot advance. Key details: - Council voted unanimously to sign the letter of support and agreed to remove specific dollar amounts so the letter would not imply an open financial commitment. - The letter is intended to strengthen the project’s application to the Alberta Housing Partnership Program; the province controls the timing, amounts, and selections, with an announcement expected in the second quarter. - If accepted by the AHPP, the next phase is to prepare a Class A budget required for federal submission; the Class A budget has been debated because of acquisition costs. - The plan outlined aims for a new 120-bed facility while retaining the current 94-bed Wheatland Lodge. - Participating municipalities have estimated combined contributions of $10 million for the project, with Wheatland County’s share reported as approximately 66 percent, contingent on provincial support. Summary: The letter formalizes municipal backing and preserves the project’s position in the AHPP process, keeping the proposal eligible for provincial grant consideration. If the province accepts the application, preparing a Class A budget for federal submission would be the next required step, and the timing depends on the province’s upcoming announcement.