Vauxhall issues letter of support for Clearview Lodge project

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Nikki Jamieson
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Vauxhall will be supporting Taber and District Housing Foundation in their quest to modernize and expand the Clearview Lodge with a ministerial letter.

During Vauxhall council’s regular March 16 meeting, Taber and District Housing Foundation (TDHF) CEO Tim Janzen appeared before them as a delegation. According to Janzen, the Clearview Lodge’s current building in Taber was built in 1963 and is showing its age. 

“Not necessarily in finishes. We’ve tried to keep it up that way, but mostly it’s around the overall design. Because it was built in 1963 and has had renovations in pretty much every decade until 2011,” said Janzen. “The idea was to improve quality of life by increasing the size of each unit, improving air handling and energy efficiency, additional courtyard space, exterior landscaping a paths more meeting rooms, a craft or activity area. The increased lodge experience for the community is there’s more parking. It’s a little easier, you’re not worried about ‘if I park here, am I in the way of an ambulance’.”

“We move from our capacity today of 82 units, to a theoretical maximum of 170 residents.”

They won’t lose capacity during construction, and would approach it in phases, shifting residents into the new rooms when they are ready so they can modernize the old ones. However, they won’t gain capacity until “late in the game”.

The goal is to break ground by early summer 2026. Currently, construction drawings are done and bid documents are being prepared. 

The Town of Taber is evaluating the development permit, which they expect to be granted in March or April. They had issued a construction manager request for proposal (RFP) on March 13, with the goal of awarding it in early April. Assisted Living and Social Services is preparing contract documents, but they need TDHF to name a prime contactor and prove they have financing in place for the final third of the project.

On March 19, it was announced the Clearview Lodge project is receiving $9.07 million as part of the Alberta government’s Seniors Lodge Modernization Program. The Town of Taber is contributing $4.5 million, and the M.D. of Taber is contributing $4 million. Although the project is currently expected to cost $24-25 million, based on the assumption of total project costs being $27.07 million, the high end of provincial support, TDHF still needs to finance the remaining $9.5 million. While they are pursuing other funding paths, including an application with Build Canada Homes, TDHF had found a commercial lender that has given them an expression of interest to finance $9.5 million drawn upon the last 16 months of the project, or late 2028 through to 2029. A mortgage would be amortized for 25 years, with annual payments being $650,000. However, to pay for it on top of their operating costs, their requisition for the municipalities they serve would increase significantly.

“We believe with a new building there will be some operational efficiencies, we are able to generate additional revenue by having more people live with us. We will have additional food costs and some additional staffing,” said Janzen. “In ‘29, the mortgage and the operating requisition would total about $1.3 million. Essentially, the requisition would double.”

Janzen said they need ministerial approval to enter into the debt financing agreement, and to get that, they need each municipality they serve to support it. If they don’t get the support from municipalities for the debt financing by June 2026, they can’t begin construction. Any delays in securing debt financing would push the project start back to 2027, which would result in increased construction costs, and they would lose funding from the province, which is conditional on a June 2026 start date.

“The greatest concern for us is the inability to meet the June 2026 deadline,” said Janzen. “(The province) committed almost $2 billion in continuing care spending, affordable housing spending, and lodge modernization. They’ve committed that amount of money because there is probably four or five time that amount of money needed. The problem we face is that if we step aside, here is 10 other places that would take our place. That doesn’t bode well for how will be get back in the queue.”

Janzen noted if they are able to get funding or financing with longer terms and lower interest, they would pursue that, but “the construction loan allows us to start.”

Coun. Shelley Deleeuw noted that she found it concerning that a project that wasn’t technically a Vauxhall one required such as big ask.

“You’re asking for our increase of tax dollars to fund the aging residents of Taber, and keeping those residents there,” said Deleeuw. 

Deleeuw asked how many Vauxhall residents lived at Clearview Lodge. Janzen noted they didn’t keep exact information on where people came from, but there were seven Vauxhall area residents currently living at Clearview Lodge, including three they took recently from Prairie Rose Manor. Janzen added that people tended to want to stay home until they need places like the lodge, and by improving it with this project, they can help keep people where they want to stay instead of forcing them elsewhere.

“By improving Clearview Lodge, I think there’s a greater likelihood of people being able to stay where they want to stay,” said Janzen.

Mayor Kimberly Cawley echoed Deleeuw’s concerns.

“It’s hard to ask our residents to increase their taxes for an increased requisition to Taber Housing, increase to education I think that’s going up again, increase to policing costs are going up again. And we don’t really see a lot of that stay right here in our community,” said Cawley. “It’s a hard pill to swallow for sure, to see an increase in taxes to our residents and not be able to see that stay directly in our community.”

Council passed a motion to receive the presentation for information. Following closed session, council also passed a motion to send a letter of support to the Minister on behalf of the Town for Taber and District Housing.