Green Acres Foundation shares updates and progress in annual report

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Green Acres Foundation is continuing its commitment to senior housing across the region. 

That’s a message Town of Coaldale Council heard as part of an update from Roger Hohm, citizen representative with Green Acres Foundation at the Sept. 21 Town of Coaldale regular council meeting.    

In the Report to the Community 2025, Hohm highlighted several updates and areas of progress over the past year, including a resurgence of renewal and renovations in Green Acres Foundation, for today and for the future.  

“We continue to focus on making sure that the needs of our community are being met and for the first time in many years, we’re also announcing new facilities,” said Hohm. “We’ve tried to focus more and more on decision-making, which as a board, will allow our residents to age within our existing communities.” 

Some of the highlights from the past year include completing renovations in the west wing at Garden View Lodge in Lethbridge, that saw the conversion of several bachelor suites to 12 one and two bedroom suites – apartment style facilities that include a small kitchen, living room, and bathroom. 

“We did this because our clients are changing. Our clients have different needs for housing and we believe that the old standards of housing for an aging community, the little (bachelor) boxes does not meet the needs of the future,” he said, noting they now look at mobility issues, aging longer, and people wanting WiFi and technology connections. “We know that our facilities have to change.” 

Piyami Lodge in Picture Butte is currently undergoing a complete rebuild, and was another highlight for Green Acres Foundation in 2025. 

“This is a $30 million dollar project. It’s going to bring this building up to standards that we feel the residents need and expect for aging in their community,” said Hohm. “(This is) all going to be a suite-style residence, where you’re going to be comfortable and feel like you’re home.” 

He said $8.2 million of the Piyami Lodge project is coming from the Provincial government an $4.1 million from the federal government, while Green Acres Foundation will also contribute money from their reserves collected from requisitions over the years. 

“Those reserves are now being spent on some of these new facilities,” he said.  

Another project currently underway is located on the west side of Lethbridge, just north of No Frills. 

“This going to be an apartment style building (with) 56 different suites. This is only going to be for Level 1 and Level 2 residents which basically means you can care for yourself,” explained Hohm, about the new senior housing project in Lethbridge that will be designed for future expansion. 

The last major project highlighted in the report, is a new seniors housing facility in Coaldale. Green Acres Foundation Board recently approved the project to begin final design. 

Hohm thanked the Town of Coaldale for their efforts in helping prioritize the project for the Coaldale community and for stepping up to assist with a needs assessment and providing land options to build the new facility. 

“This project is going to be in that same $20-$22 million dollar project (range) for the Town of Coaldale,” said Hohm, sharing some information on Green Acres Foundation’s mandate to provide affordable housing in communities. 

“Large lodge portfolios for Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 care is always at about 95 per cent occupancy – Sunny South Lodge here is almost always full,” he said. “We also have other portfolios with the (Sunny South) Manor and with other apartments, which aren’t nearly as full. So when we have these types of facilities and they aren’t being filled, we’ve dedicated those for other areas,” said Hohm, noting they are now using some facilities for cancer patients from out of town, who are undergoing treatment. 

“Now we can put them into one of our suites, them and their family. They can take their cancer treatments over a period of weeks, stay there in an affordable, safe environment where they don’t have to be travelling back and forth from Pincher Creek or from Barons or wherever – they can stay in our facilities,” he said.     

Other available spaces will be used for hospital patients who are almost ready to go back home, but are not quite healthy enough to do so.  

Councillors provided some feedback and comments for Hohm before unanimously accepting the report as information.  

In 2025, Green Acres Foundation celebrated 65 years as a non-profit charitable housing management body established by the Province of Alberta. In 2026 they are celebrating 50 years in the Town of Coaldale.