Ongoing investments in new projects will protect our progress by bringing much-needed beds to the province
KITCHENER — The Ontario government is adding 364 new and 84 upgraded long-term care beds and building three new long-term care homes in the Region of Waterloo. This is part of the government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and about 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
“Our government has a plan to fix long-term care and a key part of that plan is building modern, safe, and comfortable homes for our seniors,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care. “When these projects are completed, three new long-term care homes in the Region of Waterloo will provide a safe, modern, comfortable place for residents to call home, near their family and friends.”
The 364 new and 84 upgraded long-term care beds will be built at three new long-term care homes:
- 12 new and 84 upgraded beds at Schlegel Villages’ The Village of Winston Park in Kitchener. This will expand a new building currently under construction. It will replace the existing home to provide a total of 288 long-term care beds for the community and is expected to open by Spring 2023;
- 192 new beds at a brand new home in Cambridge operated by peopleCare, with construction expected to start by Spring 2023; and
- 160 new beds at a brand new home in St. Jacobs operated by peopleCare, with construction expected to start by Spring 2023.
Today’s announcement brings the total number of long-term care beds in development or under construction in the Region of Waterloo to 888 new and 597 upgraded beds, which also includes the following projects:
- 97 new and 95 upgraded beds previously allocated to The Village of Winston Park in Kitchener;
- 108 new beds at Fairview Mennonite Homes in Cambridge;
- 95 new and 97 upgraded beds at Nithview Community Expansion in New Hamburg;
- 60 new beds at Trinity Village Care Centre in Kitchener;
- 33 new and 95 upgraded beds at Cambridge Country Manor in Cambridge;
- 51 new and 114 upgraded beds at Saint Luke’s Place in Cambridge;
- 80 new and 112 upgraded beds at peopleCare Kitchener.
The government has a plan to fix long-term care and 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 three pillars: staffing and care; accountability, enforcement, and transparency; and building modern, safe, comfortable homes for seniors.
Quick Facts
- Building new long-term care homes and upgrading existing older homes to modern standards is part of the Government of Ontario’s Long-Term Care Modernization Plan.
- The Province has issued a new Call for Applications for Long-Term Care Home Development, in order to deliver on its goal of building 30,000 net new long-term care beds by 2028. The ministry is evaluating applications received on a rolling basis and will make a series of allocation announcements, as decisions are made.
- Ontario plans to invest an additional $3.7 billion, beginning in 2024–25, on top of the historic $2.68 billion already invested, to support this new series of allocations for the development of 10,000 net new and more than 12,000 upgraded beds across the province. These historic investments would bring the total to $6.4 billion since spring 2019.
- Ontario now has 20,887 new and 16,120 upgraded beds in the development pipeline – which means more than 69 percent of the 30,000 net new beds being delivered are in the planning, construction and opening stages of the development process.
- The Province has taken 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 June 2021, more than 38,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario. The median wait time is 163 days for applicants to be placed in long-term care.
- The Ontario government has introduced legislation that, if passed, would improve the well-being of residents in long-term care and retirement homes, and ensure they get the care they deserve. If passed, the Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021 would repeal the current Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 and create the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021. The Bill also includes proposed amendments to the Retirement Homes Act, 2010.
Quotes
“The seniors of Waterloo Region, both rural and urban, expect and deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that when the time comes, their long-term care needs will be met. The addition of 364 new and 84 upgraded long-term care beds, including a brand new home in St. Jacobs, will provide seniors in our communities with the care that they need for generations to come.”
– Mike Harris
MPP for Kitchener—Conestoga
“Today’s announcement by the Province of Ontario of 12 new and 84 upgraded long-term care beds at The Village of Winston Park is an important example of continued healthcare investments for residents, which helps ensure better health outcomes and quality of life for those requiring this level of care. Additional and upgraded long-term care beds are important as they allow our loved ones, often in their golden years, to spend less time on waiting lists and get the care that’s right for them while staying close to their families right here in our community.”
– Berry Vrbanovic
Mayor of Kitchener
SOURCE Province of Ontario
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