Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Dec 11/00) - Northeners who travel to Edmonton for medical reasons now have a home away from home.
Larga Ltd. opened a new 34-bed home on Dec. 7. The company is owned by the Gwich'in Tribal Council, Nunasi Corporation and Bill Davidson.
Northerners "will continue to be taken care of when they are in Edmonton for medical treatment," said Health Minister Jane Groenewegen,who helped open the new home.
Located at 10723 - 11 Avenue , it is wheel-chair accessible and about a five minute walk from the Royal Alexandra Hospital. It is also near the Glenrose Hospital and Kingsway Mall.
"We cater to the Northern people ... we give them Northern foods and newspapers and we emphasize making it like a home away from home rather than a hotel," said Davidson.
To help ease the loneliness of lengthy stay, Larga encourages former Northerners to visit and staffs the home with people who know the North. The cost is $86 a night and is usually covered entirely by insurance.
