East Borderland Community Housing is holding its annual fall book sale this week at Clearspring Centre in Steinbach.

Chair Elsa Laing says money raised will go towards a future personal care home for the community of Sprague. But, approval from the provincial government for that PCH has not yet come.

According to Laing, research suggests a 20-bed facility is needed in Sprague. To date, a PCH does not exist in the Rural Municipality of Piney, forcing seniors to move far away to live out their last years.

Last week, Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced new PCH beds for Steinbach, Carman and Winnipeg.

"I was disappointed that there was no mention of Sprague as a rural area that's been looking at this nursing care home need for the last twenty years," admits Laing. "We're just being overlooked, and it's just not right. Our needs are the same as the urban and we need that consideration."

Laing says back in 2004, East Borderland Community Housing was informed it would need to raise ten percent of the cost to construct a PCH. Today, the 20-bed facility would cost about $8 million and Laing says they have the $800,000 in cash and pledges needed as part of the community contribution. Yet, she says the new government has changed that funding model. With the government committing $133,000 per bed in other communities, Laing says it now looks like the local community might have to cover closer to 75 percent of the overall cost.

"We just can not do that," she says. "We are a small community and we are asking the government to reconsider, make exceptions for a rural area like ours."

Laing calls it ludicrous to expect them to come up with that kind of money and says it is not morally right that the wealthy communities keep getting all the services.

With the recent expansion announcement for Rest Haven in Steinbach, there should be a total of 200 PCH beds in Steinbach in 2020. But Laing says having more beds in Steinbach doesn't help their situation in Sprague. She notes as a rural population, many seniors have lived in the Sprague area their entire life. They know the Sprague culture and Laing says it shouldn't be unrealistic to expect even one nursing home in the RM of Piney.

Currently, there is not a 24-hour care facility in the municipality. Back in 2012, a 15 unit elderly persons housing facility was constructed in Sprague. But Laing says it is independent living. She adds with all of the discussion about alternate models, her group is open to alternate models as long as it covers the 24-hour care and as long as the province is a major funder.

Laing is hopeful this week's book sale can bring in at least $4,000. She says they have been holding these since 2008.