President’s Report to
Annual General Meeting, Saturday, June 27, 2015

Dear members of the foundation:

Your board of directors held several meetings, many of them emergency meetings in March to plan our strategies and goals to reach out to Greater Edmonton Foundation (GEF) with regard to building and operating a Senior’s home.

Your board was also active in participating and providing input to City of Edmonton Planning department for site planning at SAKAW.This happened three times.

 Finally we drafted the following points which were sent to key people concerned in the City of Edmonton administration, Councilor Sohi and GEF. This was necessary because we knew that a funding announcement was coming. Earlier in March we did meet with Hon. Jeff Johnson, Minister of Seniors. I would highlight those points for your information:

 - Our principle is that in this facility we want to meet the physical, moral, social, cultural and spiritual needs of seniors who are going to live there.
- Although this facility like any other facility will be open to everybody, yet we expect that a reasonable accommodation will take place for the people living in the community, that is SAWKA.
- Since a large number of people from South Asian community live here, we are expecting that a mechanism be developed and negotiated with GEF to look after the needs of such people.
- Priority in admission could be given to those people in assisted living who are already in the senior care facilities away from the place they have lived and families have to go out of their way to visit them.
- In the new facility a wing be allocated to specifically care for seniors from SE community. The rooms in such a wing may be given a name proposed by SALTCF.
- Suggestions given by SALTCF in context of this wing like prayer room, library, food suited to their cultural needs, a common gathering place etc. be considered.  
​- There should be representation on the board of directors of this facility so that proper and regular input be provided.
- SALTCF will continue to hold events to raise funds for this project on a continuous basis.
  ​

I am happy to report that an important milestone was reached on April 1, 2015 at the Millwoods Seniors Centre. In the presence of over 50 seniors representing members of our community and others, our good friend Sohail Qaudri, MLA Edmonton-Millwoods announced a grant of 20 million dollars from the Minister of Seniors, Government of Alberta to build a home for seniors. In his presentation he highlighted the fact that how important it is to build such facilities for seniors in Millwoods area. It took us over 5 years to reach this stage. Greater Edmonton Foundation (GEF) will be playing a major role in getting this built. SALTCF will be a partner in this venture.

Councillor Amer Jeet Sohi addressed the audience highlighting City of Edmonton interest and commitment to this and other similar projects and how the entire council was in favour of this project. City of Edmonton is contributing 4.5 million dollars for this venture and the land parcel.

I also addressed to the group. Several members of the SALTCF board were present. After thanking Soahin Qaudri for this announcement, he mentioned how the foundation has been working hard on this project since 2008 when it was founded.

• We did go to Radio…… for one hour explaining our mission and objectives.
• There was no fund raiser event since last AGM but we were focusing on collecting any pledges which we were not able to do earlier.
• We are planning a banquet on September……….
• Lastly I want to comment on our current situation With the new government elected, we are waiting for information on our grants. City of Edmonton grant is confirmed of course. Government of Alberta grant confirmation we will have to wait. We are hopeful that the grant of $ 20.00 million is intact for our use.

Thank you
Harchand Grewal, President
780-952-9950