Cloverleaf to Canora

From Cloverleaf in Warburg to Canora Place in Edmonton. That’s a big change for the small but mighty  Cloverleaf Intensive Supports Program (CL-ISP) team who’ve served participants in Wing 1 of a senior’s lodge in the Warburg for the past five years. Warburg is a small village located 90 kilometers out of Edmonton. On their drive to work through mellow countryside, CL-ISP staff shared the road with elk, deer and slow-moving farm equipment.

As of September 1st, the Cloverleaf team and residents will be adapting to a very different program setting but one that opens up significant new opportunities. That’s when the Cloverleaf program is scheduled to start operating at Canora Place in west Edmonton (10141-153 Street). Program capacity will double to 28 residents and the team will more than double to 15 staff,  including an LPN and Health Care Aides.

 Clients will have a similar acuity level including, in some cases, complex mental health issues. Daily living skills will be important, and clients will be supported to build and use those skills. Clients will also have access to dramatically expanded resources of a large urban centre, from broader health supports to diverse cultural, social and recreational opportunities.

 A challenge, says John Norton, Program Manager, will be to develop and maintain the strong sense of community that was in place at Cloverleaf. For example, sharing a meal in the Cloverleaf Lodge dining room was part of life for CL-ISP residents. At Canora Place,  the Bissel Centre will provide meals for residents who will be living on three floors. The team will explore ways to make that a shared experience such as having dining opportunities in several client common areas.  

 The Cloverleaf Intensive Supports Program was an innovative partnership between GSS and the Leduc Regional Housing Foundation. That partnership demonstrated how creative collaboration can open up innovative, new service opportunities. The success of that partnership and program means there are mixed emotions about the change. “Overall,” John says, “staff and clients are excited about the opportunities that being in the city and in a bigger facility bring. The team’s focus will be on sensitively integrating the Cloverleaf participants and the Canora residents already on site so everyone feels like a part of the Canora Place community.”

Given the outstanding client engagement and support consistently seen at Cloverleaf over the past five years, this is the ideal team to make the most of all the new opportunities opening up for Canora Place residents.