Orange Memories residents to see 4% rent increase in February

EAGLE STAFF

Residents at Orange Memories face higher rents in February.

The cost to stay in the 24-room care home is due to rise by four per cent on Feb. 1, Mayor Trevor Hay said during the Nov. 17 council meeting. Hay had chaired the Nov. 12 meeting of the Orange Memories Management Board.

The rent increase was part of the 2026 Orange Memories budget that the board approved during its meeting, minutes show.

“It ranges,” Hay said in response to a question about whether that much of an increase is normal for the home.

Rent increases have been less than that recently and “through covid, there was a freeze” on rents there, Hay said, adding, “We’re trying to play a little bit of catch-up with the finances.”

Employees will also receive a 1.7 per cent increase to their pay, Hay said. The home is full and had 11 people on the waiting list, he said.

The board still plans to get the pillars in front repaired, said Amanda Bors, the town’s acting chief administrator.

Bors said later that she hadn’t applied to replace former chief administrator Darcy Olson, now retired, and councillors indicated they were still looking.

Councillors also approved spending money from the Orange Memories reserve account to buy and install a new sound system from Lela’s Music Centre in Kindersley, and to buy a large artificial Christmas tree. Councillors approved spending a total of $4,300 for the tree and sound equipment.

Residents say, “That it’s hard to hear” during meetings and entertainment events in its open space, Bors said.

The reserve account, made up of donations to the home, contained close to $12,000, Janet Coffey-Olson said.