Final Lethbridge College Home project set to open to public
The final home of a project intended to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for trades training at Lethbridge College will be on public view on Saturday.
That is when the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association, Lethbridge Region, Lethbridge College and Stranville Living will celebrate the grand opening of the last house in the College Home project.
The five-year program is expected to have raised more than $750,000 once this final house is sold.
Kristen DeMone, executive officer of the Canadian Homebuilder’s Association, Lethbridge Region, said the homes, the sale of which will allow for a donation to the college, represent a significant challenge for the companies which take them on.
“Not only from the builder, but for the trades and suppliers as well,” she said. “They are donating a lot of their time and resources to come together and build this home. It is a large collaboration.”
Angela Zuba, development officer for Lethbridge College, said the program was developed five years ago in order to support the building of the trades and technology facility.
“The program was extremely successful,” she said,.
“It looks like we are going to surpass that goal (of $750,000),” she said. “There have been more than 149 individual companies that have participated in the project, and the result of that is seen directly impacting trades training.”
Dell Matthews, general manager for Stranville Living, said his company was eager to step up and take part in the project for a second time.
“We see it as a very important cause,” he said.
Matthews said the biggest challenge was the fact the project has been ongoing for five years.
“With a community our size and the size of our industry, for a lot of the contractors, this was their fifth year,” he said. “When you stick your hand out and say, ‘hit me again,’ for a contribution, it can be a challenge.”
Donating to the development of the Trades and Technologies building is one way for local business to help facilitate future trades workers.
“It is vital to our industry to have skilled trades people,” DeMone said. “Increasingly there is a gap, and it is becoming a struggle to find skilled trades people.”
She said because of these issues, it “makes sense” to get involved with efforts by the college to increase the amount of training available.
“The very end goal of this is to contribute to the trades facility at the college,” Matthews said.
“The more apprentices we can get trained in our community, the better the chance they are going to stick around in our community.”
The home, a two-storey model called “The Graystoke,” is a threebedroom, 2.5-bathroom home boasting more than 1,900 square feet.
The home design is new to Stranville Living and is a family designed concept with many open features.
“It’s a beautifully designed home, and we think it will be a quick sale,” said Matthews.
The home is valued at $429,000, and donations and profits from the sale of the home go directly to the college.
Interested viewers can see the home at 259 Northlander Bend W. in the Garry Station West subdivision, beginning Saturday at 1 p.m.
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