RED DEER, Alta.- This holiday season is a particularly special one for residents of the Michener Centre in Red Deer.
For months, the care centre for the developmentally disabled was slated for closure but in September, the Alberta government reversed its decision to close it.
“Christmas is always great,” said Lee Kvern, whose sister lives in the facility. “This one is particularly special. We fought 555 days to keep my sister’s home, it’s a gift.”
The Michener Centre is home to about 200 people. In some cases, families of the residents say the facility is the only home they’ve ever known.
“When we dropped her off among all those little kids, my husband and I left and we went down a back road and cried,” said Joyce Tona, whose daughter has lived at the facility for nearly 50 years. “It was that sad.”
Tona says over the years, her daughter has become a well-adjusted, happy, social woman who has thrived at the Michener Centre.
“It was the best thing that ever happened,” said Tona. “It’s been a wonderful home.”
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