CUPE calls for action to save a Preeceville group home from permanent closure.
Group Home Number Three in Preeceville is home to residents with disabilities who are supported by staff who provide 24-hour care. Mackenzie Society Ventures, the company operating the group home, has recently announced plans to close the home permanently at the end of the month without explanation, leaving the future of the residents unknown. The closure will result in the loss of at least eight jobs in the community.
“We were caught entirely off-guard by this announcement,” said Angie Pawliw, President of CUPE 3364. “Mackenzie Society Ventures has been unable to provide a clear reason as to why they are closing this group home, which they receive funding from the provincial government to operate. To close this home and put the vulnerable people who live there at risk is completely unacceptable.”
If the home is closed, the impact will be greatest felt by the residents, several of whom are elderly. It is unclear where they will be relocated to if the home closes.
“Group Home Three provides essential housing and care to those with disabilities,” added Pawliw. “This is their community, where they’re cared for by dedicated staff. These residents should not be forced out of their homes, and staff should not have to lose their jobs with no real explanation.”
The union has written a letter to Social Services Minister, Gene Makowsky, as well as Canora-Pelly MLA, Terry Dennis, and is encouraging community members to send their own letters expressing their concern over the closure and the effect it would have on the community, including the loss of good paying jobs and the support of local businesses the home relies on for its operations.
“The community came together to support this group home when it first opened back in 2001. The residents who live there and the staff who care for them are a part of the community, and they need everyone’s support once again to demand action and ensure that this home stays open,” concluded Pawliw.