🩺 Public Health Watch: Ontario Expands Seniors’ Care and RSV Protection Ahead of Fall Health Season

Runnymede Long-Term Care Home Now Complete: 200 New Beds in Toronto

Construction is now complete at the Runnymede Long-Term Care Home, adding 200 new not-for-profit beds in Toronto. The modern facility features eight Resident Home Areas for smaller, community-style living and a dedicated cultural floor for up to 50 residents of Maltese heritage.

Premier Doug Ford thanked frontline workers and the team at Runnymede for their commitment, calling the facility “a modern long-term care home that gives our seniors the comfort and dignity they deserve.”

Residents are expected to begin moving in this fall, with enhanced services like therapy rooms, a worship area, recreation spaces, and air conditioning throughout.

Carefirst Campus of Care Breaks Ground in Richmond Hill

Ontario also broke ground on the Carefirst Campus of Care York Region, a 124-bed long-term care home expected to open in 2027.

The project is one of the first to receive funding through the province’s new Capital Funding Program (CFP) and will include:

• A ground-floor medical centre for primary and specialist care

• Four Resident Home Areas with dining, lounges, and bedrooms

• Amenities like a café, salon, chapel, and outdoor garden

• Programming that supports aging-in-place and community wellness

“Carefirst Campus will play a vital role in building a compassionate future for our seniors,” said MPP Daisy Wai.

“It’s a model of blending cultural enrichment with health care,” added Mayor David West.

Toronto Marks Overdose Awareness Day with Renewed Focus on Harm Reduction

On August 31, Mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed Overdose Awareness Day, honouring the lives lost to Toronto’s ongoing drug toxicity epidemic.

The CN Tower and Toronto Sign were lit purple in solidarity. In 2024, Toronto recorded 463 opioid-related deaths, a 17% drop from 2023, but still 49% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

“Together, with hope as our guide, we can break stigma, strengthen connection, and prevent more loss,” said Mayor Chow.

Key City & TPH Initiatives:

• POINT Program: Free naloxone kits and overdose training

• CORE Team: Downtown outreach for those with complex health needs

• “Our Health, Our City” Strategy: Reducing harms from substance use

• Mobile Outreach: Connecting people to housing and health services

“Urgent collective action can reduce stigma and save lives,” said Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey, Acting Medical Officer of Health.

More information: toronto.ca/overdose

RSV Immunization Program Expands for Fall 2025 – Now Free for Ages 75+

To prepare for the 2025–2026 respiratory illness season, Ontario is expanding RSV vaccine eligibility to all residents aged 75 and over. The move is part of the province’s broader prevention strategy to reduce hospitalization and severe illness among high-risk populations.

“We’re making sure the most vulnerable have the tools they need to protect themselves,” said Health Minister Sylvia Jones.

Ontario’s RSV Immunization Program now covers:

• All individuals aged 75 and older (new)

• High-risk adults 60–74 (e.g. LTC and retirement home residents)

• Infants up to 8 months (first RSV season)

• High-risk children up to 24 months (second season)

• Pregnant women, eligible for Abrysvo®

• Infants, eligible for Beyfortus® (nirsevimab)

“RSV immunization is safe, effective, and will save lives this fall,” said Dr. Chris Simpson, Chief Medical Executive of Ontario Health.

More details on vaccine access locations will be announced in the coming weeks. For information, visit ontario.ca/rsv

🩺 Public Health Watch is GTA Weekly’s weekly look at the infrastructure, policies, and health issues shaping our community’s well-being—from new hospitals to disease advisories and beyond. Follow us @GTAWeeklyNews for more public health updates. #GTAWeekly #GTAToday #PublicHealthWatch