Lethbridge County Councillors provide letter of support for Picture Butte’s Piyami Lodge rebuild project

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Lethbridge County councillors have agreed to provide a letter of support for a rebuild of Picture Butte’s Piyami Lodge, following a request from Green Acres Foundation. 

At the April 16 Lethbridge County regular council meeting, councillors discussed a letter from Green Acres Foundation chair, Lorne Hickey, who is also a Lethbridge County councillor, but was not in attendance at the council meeting. 

The letter presented a request for a letter of support from Lethbridge County regarding the Piyami Lodge rebuild project in Picture Butte, which is in the final planning stages.   

The project is being partially funded through the recently announced provincial Seniors Lodge Modernization Program grant of $5.8 million and a $3.5 million grant through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). In addition, the Town of Picture Butte is also providing monetary support, as stated in the letter, and the Board of Directors of Green Acres Foundation is funding $17.7M toward the rebuild project. 

Lethbridge County Reeve Tory Campbell read the letter to councillors and asked for discussion and questions from Councillors.  

Coun. Eric Van Essen noted that while the project is something they “whole heartedly support,” he asked what providing such a letter does for the County’s liability. 

Lethbridge County CAO Cole Beck explained that the operations of the new lodge “directly translates to their budget bottom line that translates to a requisition,” said Beck, noting the liability portion is that the County supports Green Acres with the project knowing that regional ratepayers will be the ones who pay for it. “Having said that, I think this is long overdue …. I think this is something we’ve supported them on in the past and advocated for,” said Beck. “I think seeing it go forward is in our best interest – we’ve done a lot of advocacy with the province around support for seniors in the region. We have an aging population that far exceeds statistically at least, the representation of that same population across the province,” he added. “From an administration (view), I do think it is a positive for Lethbridge County (but) dollar and cents, I don’t what that directly translates to.”

In his letter, Hickey noted that to proceed with their financial commitment, Green Acres Foundation is required to secure $9 million in external financing. That includes a request to the Minister for approval to borrow $9 million for the Piyami Lodge rebuild project, which requires a letter from each of the member municipalities (City of Lethbridge, Lethbridge County, Town of Nobleford, Town of Coaldale, Town of Picture Butte, Town of Coalhurst, and Village of Barons) supporting Green Acres Foundation’s request. 

The letter of support from Lethbridge County will state that  Lethbridge County supports the proposal of Green Acres Foundation to borrow up to $9 million for the $27 million capital rebuild project of Piyami Lodge, and Lethbridge County understands that the request for $9 million in external financing requires ministerial approval, and that Lethbridge County acknowledges that under the Alberta Housing Act, member municipalities continue to be requisitioned to fund operating costs of senior lodge facilities.  

The letter also stated that Green Acres Foundation is in good financial standing and noted that the municipality (Lethbridge County) will not be registered on any external financing. 

Coun. John Kuerbis made a motion, which was unanimously approved, to provide a letter of support to Green Acres Foundation for their attempts to borrow the money in a format that is supportive and works within the parameters they requested.