Piyami Lodge rebuild gets $5.8M

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Joe Manio
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For seniors in Picture Butte and surrounding communities, growing older close to family instead of moving away could soon become much easier.

A $5.8-million provincial investment will help rebuild Piyami Lodge, replacing the nearly five-decade-old seniors facility with a larger, modernized community designed to let more residents stay local as their housing and care needs change.

The new two-storey lodge will replace the current building, which opened in 1979, and increase capacity from 32 suites to 50. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with an official sod-turning ceremony to be announced.

For a rural community, the project is about far more than bricks and mortar. It means more spaces for seniors who want to remain near children, grandchildren, friends and familiar surroundings rather than relocating to larger centres when local housing options become limited. 

For many families, that can mean the difference between regular visits and long drives.

Green Acres Foundation, which operates the lodge, says demand for seniors housing continues to grow in southern Alberta communities such as Picture Butte, located about 29 kilometres north of Lethbridge. 

Like many rural communities, the town is seeing an aging population that wants to remain independent while still having access to services when needed.

Piyami Lodge is part of what Green Acres calls the Picture Butte Campus of Care model — described as the first of its kind in Alberta. The concept offers a continuum of supports on one site so seniors can “age in place” as their needs evolve over time, instead of facing multiple moves between communities or facilities.

That campus model includes independent lodge living with meals, supportive living with 24-hour personal care, higher-level supported living with round-the-clock nursing coverage, and an on-site health centre featuring a physician clinic and home care services. 

Having those supports nearby can provide peace of mind for both residents and their families.

The existing Piyami Lodge already offers many of the features residents have come to value, including prepared meals, recreation programming, accessible suites and common gathering areas. 

Green Acres says the replacement facility will build on those strengths while offering updated design, expanded capacity and modern amenities better suited to today’s expectations for seniors living.

Officials say continuity is especially important in smaller communities, where moving elsewhere for care often means leaving long-standing friendships, faith communities, volunteer networks and familiar routines behind. Remaining in one’s own town can have social and emotional benefits that are just as important as physical care.

“Seniors have made enormous contributions to the communities we live in today, and they deserve housing that reflects that,” said Jason Nixon. “By investing more than $200 million to modernize and expand seniors lodges, Alberta’s government is helping ensure seniors can continue living in the communities they helped build, with the comfort, dignity and support they deserve.”

“We appreciate the grant funding from the provincial government for the development of a new facility in Picture Butte at Piyami Lodge,” said Lorne Hickey. “Investments from Green Acres Foundation and other community partners will allow Picture Butte and area residents to remain close to family, friends and the place they call home while accessing housing with the care and support they deserve.”

“For 47 years, Piyami Lodge has supported seniors in the Picture Butte community,” said Dawna Coslovi. “This redevelopment marks an important step forward in ensuring it continues to be a safe, comfortable and modern place for seniors to call home for generations to come.”

Green Acres Foundation, a non-profit housing management body established by the province, has provided affordable housing and care services for seniors in southern Alberta since 1960. 

The organization now operates more than 20 locations across the region and was recognized with the Best of Butte Non-Profit Award from the Picture Butte Chamber of Commerce in 2024.