A firm from Winnipeg has been hired to design the expansion at Rest Haven Nursing Home in Steinbach.

In September of this year, Rest Haven was given the green light by the province to expand. It is a 60-bed facility and the plan is to add 80 beds, though once complete there will be 140 brand new PCH rooms.

David Driedger is Chief Executive Officer for HavenGroup. He says the provincial government gave approval to move into schematic design in an expeditious way. He notes they have hired ft3 of Winnipeg as the prime consultant to design the building.

"We look forward to working with them on this project," says Driedger.

"We are really excited about working with Rest Haven and Southern Health," says Jerald Peters with ft3.

Once complete, this will not be your typical personal care home. Driedger says it will be "more homelike." Ten to twelve residents will be grouped together, having their own living room, dining room and kitchen. Peters says it will resemble a single-family home used by a large family.

"We're really excited about these concepts and the research that we've been doing," says Peters. "The different projects that we've been able to do across western Canada are in alignment with what Rest Haven is trying to do here."

According to Peters, similar facilities exist in Fisher Branch and Peguis.

Driedger says they would like to have the schematic design completed by April 1st. This will be followed by a class C estimate in order to get preliminary cost estimates for the project. Driedger says they will then submit this to the province for the next levels of approval. He his hopeful by the summer of 2018 they can get those necessary approvals and then tender the project in early 2019. If all goes well, Driedger says they will put shovel in the ground in spring of 2019.

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Rest Haven Likely To Increase By 80 Beds