TIMMINS — Construction is underway on a new, 192-bed building for Golden Manor, a long-term care home in Timmins. This home is one of 67 long-term care home projects fast-tracked this fall with support from the Ontario government’s increased construction funding subsidy. This is part of the Ontario government’s commitment to build more than 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
“Congratulations to Golden Manor on their ground-breaking for a redeveloped home. Our government is fixing long-term care and ensuring we build homes for seniors in the communities they helped build,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Today marks a significant milestone for Timmins. When construction is complete, 192 residents will have a new, modern and comfortable place to call home, close to family and friends.”
Construction of the new home will add 15 new beds to Golden Manor’s existing 177 beds. The new building will feature design improvements, including larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home. The design is centred around ‘resident home areas’, each of which creates a more intimate and familiar living space for up to 32 residents, with dining and activity areas, lounges and bedrooms. The new Golden Manor is expected to be completed and welcoming its first residents in winter 2025.
Golden Manor proposes to be part of a campus of care, which helps integrate the long-term care home into the broader health care system and ensures residents can conveniently connect to the care they need.
Golden Manor also plans to include an Indigenous centre, with space for Elders to visit with residents, provide spiritual counselling and lead cultural ceremonies. The home will continue to serve the Indigenous and Francophone communities, including offering culturally specific programs and services, bilingual staff, and multilingual signage.
As a result of the government’s supplemental increase to the construction funding subsidy, which was designed to stimulate the start of construction for more long-term care homes across Ontario, 67 projects received ministry approval to construct between April 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023. This means 11,199 new and upgraded beds are now being built to modern design standards across the province.
The government is fixing long-term care to ensure Ontario’s seniors get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve, both now and in the future. The plan is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.
Quick Facts
- The Ontario government provided $236,000 to Golden Manor in 2022-23 for advanced wound care, education and equipment, renovations for home dialysis, and full-time staffing for the home’s specialized behaviour unit. This funding provides better care and helps keep residents out of the hospital. This was part of a $20 million investment across the province through the Local Priorities Fund, operated by Ontario Health. The fund is part of a broader investment of over $120 million in 2022-23, with additional funding moving forward, to provide access to a range of specialized services and supports, so that long-term care residents with complex needs can access connected and convenient care in the comfort of their long-term care home instead of a hospital.
- As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address sector waitlists, the government is building more than 30,000 net new long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028 and upgrading more than 28,000 older beds to modern design standards.
- Building more modern, safe and comfortable homes for our seniors is part of the Government of Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
- The province is taking innovative steps to get long-term care homes built, including modernizing its funding model, selling unused lands with the requirement that long-term care homes be built on portions of the properties, and leveraging hospital-owned land to build urgently needed homes in large urban areas.
- As of September 2023, more than 43,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario. The median wait time is 118 days for applicants to be placed in long-term care.
Quotes
“Today, we are celebrating the ground-breaking of the new building at the Golden Manor. Our government is improving long-term care across the north and throughout the province, ensuring we support seniors living in our communities. Today’s ground-breaking is a great sign for the future of Timmins because 192 residents will now have a modern and comfortable home where they can receive the day-to-day care that they need and deserve.”
– George Pirie
MPP for Timmins
“The Golden Manor redevelopment project will transform our existing long-term care home into a vibrant and modern facility. With support from the Ministry of Long-Term Care and the Province of Ontario, we have made a commitment to provide safe and culturally appropriate care, with more room, accessible space, and improved quality of life for current and future residents.”
– Michelle Boileau
Mayor, City of Timmins
“This ceremony not only signifies the start of construction but also the continued commitment from the Mayor and Council of the City of Timmins to the provision of safe and culturally appropriate care and support for residents. The newly constructed building will offer residents a home with larger living areas, common spaces, an Indigenous space, and many more design improvements aimed at maximizing resident quality of life. We are appreciative of the support provided by both the province and the municipality in making this redevelopment possible.”
– Lia Fontana
Administrator, Golden Manor
SOURCE Province of Ontario
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