East Borderland Community Housing did not get the answer it was looking for at its annual meeting Monday night in Sprague. Chair Elsa Laing says local Progressive Conservative MLA Dennis Smook and Jane Curtis, Chief Executive

Elsa LaingOfficer of Southern Health, were in attendance for a frank discussion about the dream for a 20-bed personal care home in Sprague. Laing says the government has changed the formula for funding personal care homes so that a local community must cover about 80 per cent of the cost and the province about 20 per cent. The old formula required only a 10 per cent community contribution. Laing says there's no way Sprague can afford 80 per cent of an $8 million project and wants the province to make an exception.

"We were hopeful that there could be some additional news brought by the MLA to give some exceptions to this formula that's been put in place. We were told last night that currently there's no change, but to be hopeful for the future. But, hope has to be brought with some substance."

Laing says it was discouraging to be pushed aside once again. However, she says they won't give up just yet.

"We are going to continue fundraising, we're going to continue making a voice, based on the need. But our voice states we cannot build 80% of the nursing home, that is totally out of the question so we're asking the government to make some allowances for our challenges. We'll have to give it some thought. I'm not sure which direction to go. It's very frustrating. It's basically the 'have' communities are getting the services, that's the mindset of the government right now."


Read more: Sprague Group Not Giving Up On PCH Dream