District facing higher Rainycrest levy

While the Kenora District is facing a whopping 35.52 percent levy increase for its homes for the aged in 2002, Rainy River District will only see a three percent hike for Rainycrest.
“It’s really not that much,” said Alanna Barr, chair of the Rainycrest Home for the Aged board, noting it will total about $23,000.
“We haven’t had an increase in some years. With the escalating costs of maintaining services and care, it was necessary to do this,” she added.
The Town of Fort Frances will have to pay $565,210 as its share of the levy, CAO Bill Naturkach said Thursday.
“While it hurts, it’s not something that’s really unreasonable,” he noted, referring to the average increase in cost of living as well as escalating costs for health care.
Fort Frances pays 58 percent of the total levy.
The notice of the levy likely will be received by council at its next meeting (Feb. 11).
The reason why Kenora District’s increase was so great was due to rising operating costs as well as the fact that district hasn’t seen a hike in 10 years.
Barr said the Rainycrest board, as well as others across Northwestern Ontario, have been requesting—and so far receiving—support from district municipalities and the Northern Ontario Municipal Association to lobby the province for more funding.
“The province is failing to properly fund long-term health care,” she argued.
The Ministry of Health and Long-term Care currently provides $62 per person for elderly care.
In related news, Barr noted the new unit at Rainycrest for the cognitively-impaired is “coming along quite well.”
“We’re expecting a ribbon-cutting sometime in March,” she said. “It’s a marvelous addition. It’s sunny, and I think the residents are really going to like it.”
Construction on the $550,000 expansion began in July. When completed, it will see 32 existing rooms designated for residents who are Alzheimer’s patients or suffer from other forms of dementia.
Along with a new dining room which will enable staff to keep the two groups separated within the home, additions include a new secured outdoor patio with flowers, walkways, and a gazebo.
The expansion is being built on the west end of Rainycrest by United General Contracting Ltd. of Thunder Bay. It has been funded internally with savings accumulated over the past five years.