Construction on the new Tatagwa View long-term care facility at Souris Valley has fallen about a month behind, but the project is still on target budget-wise, says the health region official in charge of the project.

Lloyd Searcy, vice-president of corporate and financial services for the Sun Country Regional Health Authority, said the project also has a ways to go in its fund-raising objectives, with approximately $400,000 yet to raise from the community.

The $21.5 million facility, which will house 135 long-term care beds, the health district's laundry services and administration offices, was originally slated to be finished by Sept. 17, but that date has now been moved to Oct. 14, said Searcy, adding the health region hopes to have patients moving in by the end of October.

Siding has begun to go up on some of the "houses" in the facility, but this won't be completed until July, said Searcy. Some drywalling and taping is also being done on the interior of some of the units currently.

Once the buildings' exteriors are done, there's much work left to do outside, including the site grade and roads, as well as replacement of trees and shrubs as agreed to with the residents of neighbouring Elgin Street. Searcy noted a meeting will be held with the residents and with a landscape architect on what trees and shrubs are planned to replace the ones removed for construction.

Meanwhile, the health authority is planning to resume its fund-raising push in the coming months, as the project is still short by about $400,000, he said. To help pay for the local portion of the total cost, the health authority is selling sponsorships of each of the 135 beds, at $2,000 each, and of the houses at $50,000 each. A total of 83 beds have been sponsored so far, with about 50 more to go, while five more houses are in need of a sponsor, which would provide much of the remaining needed funds.

Part of the expense was due to the health region's decision to buy all new beds for the new facility, but also because Tatagwa View will be housing the laundry facilities for the health region.

"It helps maintain 15 jobs in our community to have the laundry facility here," said Searcy, noting the equipment for the laundry will be arriving in August.