Province announces $21.5M to build, renovate long-term care homes in Nipissing

Cassellholme Home for the Aged in North Bay. May 4/20 (Lori-Anne Little/CTV Northern Ontario)

Sudbury — On Thursday, Nipissing MP Vic Fedeli announced the Ontario government is investing an additional $761 million to build and renovate 74 long-term care homes across the province, including $21,534,119 in Nipissing.

In a news release, the province said the money is part of a new funding model that helps break down historic barriers and accelerates the construction of urgently needed long-term care projects, providing seniors with the quality care they deserve.

“The number of people in Nipissing who will need long-term care is expected to increase significantly over the next decade,” Fedeli said in the release. “The work underway here will make sure that our loved ones will have a comfortable, modern place to live, near family and friends, with the support they need, when they need it.”

Long-term care homes in Nipissing receiving funding include:

- Algonquin Nursing Home in Mattawa is receiving an additional investment of $3,256,126, helping them upgrade 72 spaces.

- Cassellholme East Nipissing District Home for the Aged in North Bay is receiving an additional investment of $10,637,513, helping them build 24 new spaces and upgrade 240 spaces.

- Waters Edge Care Community in North Bay is receiving an additional investment of $7,640,480, helping them build 12 new spaces and upgrade 148 spaces.

The funding model is helping the government deliver on its commitment to create 30,000 beds in the next 10 years.

"The new model moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach, and instead, provides tailored incentives to address the needs of developers in different markets: rural, mid-size, urban, and large urban," the release said. "It also introduces an up-front development grant to address high cost barriers to construction."

The province is also driving the development of new long-term care spaces by selling surplus lands with the requirement that long-term care homes be built on portions of the properties, and through the Accelerated Build pilot program, which is adding 1,280 spaces in a matter of months, not years.

As of June 2020, more than 38,500 people are on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed.