There’s no place like home. And, thanks to the efforts of Al MacFarlane and Meadow Lake Properties, this is a claim a number of Meadow Lake and area residents are now able to make. Friday (June 19) marked the official opening of Pioneer Place Suites, a new, 33-suite living space, developed by MacFarlane at the site of the former Northland Pioneer Lodge building on 3rd Street West.
“In December 2019, Jeremy (Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison) called me into his office, and I felt a little bit like a kid going into the principal’s office,” MacFarlane joked while providing a brief timeline of events that ultimately led to the opening of the refurbished facility. “He asked me if I would be interested in looking at the old lodge. It was still actively in use at the time, but that’s when the whole process began.” The following month, Meadow Lake Properties formally wrote to Harrison expressing the company’s interest in renovating the building. Shortly thereafter, however, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and there were no further updates until September 2020 when the MLA informed MacFarlane the province could not sell him the building directly but could sell it to the municipality which, in turn, could decide what the future would hold for the long-time long-term care facility. “It took three years for the city to issue a request for proposals… but, no one, including ourselves, liked the proposal they made, and nobody bid on it,” MacFarlane continued. “We thought that was it, but, after about another year, we finally got to a point where we were ready to sign a sale agreement.”
In May 2024, the city issued Meadow Lake Properties a building permit and work to update and upgrade the building began almost immediately leading up to last week’s grand opening. The original building itself was built in three parts over five decades, while Mac- Farlane and his team modernized things with all-new exterior insulation using spray foam, new plumbing and electrical, new drywall and painting, new flooring, a new fire protection system, air-to-air exchangers in every unit, new grading to help drain water away from the building, new and improved courtyards and a new roof.
MacFarlane also took time to recognize a number of people who made the project possible including city councillor Marty Bishop who assisted with negotiations with the municipality, Caroline Burgoyne who assisted on the financing side of things, Monty Samson who helped with drawings and plans, members of a focus group put together to provide input on the project, Meadow Lake Properties’ staff members, as well as the various sub-contractors who contributed to the final project. MacFarlane also said it would have cost $1.5 million to demolish the building if the province hadn’t sold it to the city and essentially paved the way for MacFarlane to come onboard. This was confirmed by Harrison who was on hand for the grand opening.
“I want to say thank you to Al, to (his son) Chris and to your entire team who made this happen,” Harrison said. “Al has already relayed some of the first conversations we had about this, but the health authority came to us and said it would cost $1.5 million to tear down the old long-term care facility… That didn’t make a lot of sense, so I told them I knew a guy. I called Al, we sat down and had that original conversation.” Harrison said a building such as the one MacFarlane has renovated is something desperately needed in the community. “It helps fill a housing need we not only have now, but a need that will increasingly be there as we move forward as a community,” he said. “We all win this way. That was the outlook. It was a journey to get to this point, but the fact we are here is a testament to the work Al and Chris have done. They believed in this project… They’ve done a beautiful job. Before, this wasn’t a pleasant place to be in – for the residents or for the staff who worked here. You walk in here now, and what a beautiful place… From the perspective of the province, I just want to say thank you so much. What you have done here is a remarkable thing.”
This was echoed by Meadow Lake mayor Merlin Seymour. “Thank you Al and Chris,” Seymour said. “You guys, along with your staff and subcontractors, have done an awesome job… the last six years of my mom’s life was in this building, so I have spent a lot of time here. It’s incredible the amount of work you guys went through… This is a welcome addition to our community.”
In closing, Chris MacFarlane thanked everyone who attended the grand opening, as well as the Meadow Lake Properties staff and everyone who contributed to the project as a whole. “Many people in Meadow Lake remember this property as Northland Pioneer Lodge,” he said. “Today is a new chapter… My dad has always said our name is on our buildings, whether it actually is or not. We stand by our projects, and this philosophy has always stayed with me. We stand behind our work and we take responsibility for the quality of what we have built and what we can maintain. It’s about doing our best for the people who call these buildings home… We wanted to create a place where residents can feel comfortable, secure and independent… Rather than seeing a large community asset not being utilized, we saw an opportunity. We’re proud of what we have accomplished here and for what the future holds. Welcome to Pioneer Place Suites.”