Personal care home in dispute with WRHA once again admitting residents

A Winnipeg personal care home will begin filling 18 beds that have been sitting vacant amid a dispute with the WRHA.

A personal care home in Winnipeg will begin filling 18 beds that have been vacant amid a dispute with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA).

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said Thursday that Lions Manor will be opening beds at its facility in Winnipeg for seniors and their families seeking care.

“I’ve been very clear as a minister that we will not lose a personal care home, or personal care home beds in this province, that our priority is to add personal care home capacity, and that all health-care workers that provide care at the bedside or personal care residents should be secure in their jobs,” Asagwara said.

In an Oct. 1 letter addressed to the WRHA and obtained by CTV News, Gilles Verrier, executive director of Lions Housing Centres which operates Lions Manor in downtown Winnipeg, references an ongoing issue with the health authority about funding and staffing, resulting in 18 empty beds.

The letter said Lions Housing Centres terminated their personal care home agreement on April 1, 2025, and stopped admitting patients due to inadequate funding and relief of “current losses.”

The WRHA also blocked their proposed staff rotation plan, according to the letter signed by Verrier, undermining their own directive for balanced budgets and efficiencies.

“WRHA would rather preserve the status quo and silence Lions than confront its incompetence,” the letter reads, adding they have reversed their decision and begun admissions.

CTV News reached out to Verrier and Lions Housing Centres for comment and has not yet heard back.

Asagwara said they have had discussions with the WRHA and Lions about the ongoing issues and said Lions will once again be admitting residents to fill beds, something they were happy to see happen.

“Every available bed should be made accessible to Manitobans,” Asagwara said.

In a statement, a WRHA spokesperson said stability for families, residents and staff members remains important.

“We have been working with leadership at Lions Personal Care Home regarding their operations and obligations under their service agreement with the WRHA which requires that all beds remain open and appropriately staffed,” the spokesperson said.

“We want to reassure staff, residents, and families that we deeply value the care and dedication of Lions (Personal Care Home) employees, and there will be no job losses or permanent bed closures. Their roles remain essential to the delivery of quality care.”

Asagwara said they directed the WRHA to be prepared for the possibility they may need to assume responsibility for Lions Manor, but hopes it won’t come to fruition.

“I’m ensuring in my role as minister that the WRHA will take all necessary steps to make sure that those beds will remain available and accessible to residents,” Asagwara said.