Construction underway for new seniors and alternative facility in Sherbrooke

Quebec’s Seniors Minister Marguerite Blais, alongside Transport Minister François Bonnardel and Saint-françois MNA Geneviève Hébert, announced the start of construction on a new seniors and alternative facility development project in Sherbrooke on Monday.

The Maison des aînés et alternative de Sherbrooke comes with 120 spaces in single rooms with adapted toilets and showers. The facility, located on AndréBreton Street, has 84 spaces reserved for seniors and 36 spaces for adults with special needs.

The Quebec government, which invested $61.6 million into the project, expects the facility to be completed by fall 2022. The Société québécoise des infrastructures is handling the construction operation.

“Through its support for this project, our government is demonstrating that it is committed to meeting our region’s housing and long-term care needs, particularly those of people with a loss of autonomy and their loved ones,” said Bonnardel.

According to a press release, the facility is meant to replicate a home environment, promoting human interaction and an active lifestyle. Residents will have access to an outdoor area and several indoor activity options.

The provincial government also emphasized the facility will be equipped to handle potential viral outbreaks with detailed infection prevention protocols and control measures. The facility marks a new era for Sherbrooke residents, Blais explained.

“This is what we wanted to do with this great innovative social project: to offer a service that is even better adapted to today’s standards of safety and well-being, taking into account the needs of each person on a daily basis, and in an evolutionary manner,” she said.