Excitement is building in Dominion City for the start of construction on a new seniors housing facility.

The 10 unit building is based on the Abbeyfield model for seniors housing which is a communal living program where seniors have the privacy of their own living area and the support of a house coordinator who manages the building and cooks meals.

Project consultant Gord Daman says a project like this will allow residents who have lived in Dominion City and the surrounding area to remain in their community through their golden years.

"That's extremely important because it ensures that they can remain in the place where they have worked and lived all their lives and stay close to family and friends with the assistance that they need so that they don't have to move away."

Once constructed, Abbeyfield House would be the first of its kind in Manitoba. In fact, the project has received praise from officials with Abbeyfield Canada who feel the Dominion City project will be a model for Manitoba and Canada, according to Daman.

"We're extremely excited about that and its kudos to the community, both from the municipal council and the volunteers from the community itself."

Meanwhile, the proposed Abbeyfield home has caught the attention of the provincial government as Manitoba Housing is considering the possibility of helping fund the project to ensure that it is affordable.

"They also see it as a pilot project for other small rural communities throughout Manitoba so it's a partnership between community, municipality, local government and the province," said Daman.

There are a few small details to iron out but Daman is confident those will be resolved over the coming weeks and construction should start in July.

"Hopefully by the summer of 2016, we'll have a brand new home with 10 suites ready for the community."