The tender for the Parsons Creek continuing care facility has been awarded and the contract has already been signed. Provincial officials have said that construction will begin in the upcoming months. provincial Department of Infrastructure spokesperson Robert Storrier reported that the tender worth $41.7 million was awarded on May 13 to Ledcor Construction. The tender was won by Ledcor after it was opened for competition last fall. The tender bids that were returned were substantially over budget, and the tender was awarded when these bids came in around $22 million less than those last fall. According to Storrier “They attribute that to more favourable market conditions. There were [also] minor design adjustments, [but] in that case none of that would impact resident safety, comfort, or building functionality. And the other factor was they would start construction this summer, it wouldn’t start in the winter which has significantly higher costs.”

The Parsons Creek tender award is the next step towards the realization of the 100 bed continuing care facility. The beds will include 70 supported living beds and 30 long term care beds. Provincial officials have also said that the site is large enough to allow for expansion in the future with the hopes of adding an additional 100 beds. A number of senior residents have criticized the planned location, saying that putting the facility in downtown Fort MacMurray at Willow Square would be a better option. Councillor Phil Meagher is behind the current location, saying “You see the population every day moving to the north side [of Fort McMurray]. And people will grow there, families will grow up. And then they will want a long term care facility within that part of town. It will be important to have it there. Out in the country, it can be up to an hour to an hour and a half to two hour to a long term care facility from a little location.”