The Ontario government announced on November 20 that it will move forward with the construction of 29 long-term care projects and create nearly 3,000 new care spaces in the process.

The projects consist of 2,983 long-term care spaces, including 1,968 new and 1,015 upgraded spaces. The initiative is part of the province’s plan to respond to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Protecting our loved ones and ensuring they receive the care they deserve is at the centre of everything we do," said Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton. "With this announcement, our government is taking another step towards creating a 21^st century long-term care sector that provides the highest quality of care for our most vulnerable people, where and when they need it."

Among the projects, 19 will include campuses of care where multiple services are provided for residents on the same site. In Ottawa, for example, the province is proceeding with two projects. These consist of 256 new spaces at Schlegel Villages (The Ottawa Hospital, Riverside site), where a campus of care will provide specialized units for dementia, mental health, and complex physical needs; and, to replace Carlingview Manor, a new 320-space home in the east-end Orléans community.

"Our government’s commitment to building new long-term care spaces is critical to ensuring our most vulnerable individuals have the support they need,” said Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod. “Residents across the National Capital will see reduced waitlists and increased quality of care, with the addition of 320 spaces in Ottawa.”

In addition to the 29 projects, the province has announced an investment of $761 million to build and renovate 74 projects under the modernized funding model. That funding is expected to create close to 11,000 spaces. Altogether, the province is investing $1.75 billion to create 30,000 beds over ten years. This latest announcement brings the total number of new and upgraded long-term care spaces in the pipeline to 22,368.

"We are thankful to the government for their announcement today to increase long-term care capacity in our community,” said Ottawa Hosptial president and CEO Cameron Love. “We are pleased to be partnering with Schlegel Villages to develop an integrated campus of care at the Riverside, that will offer world-class care to patients in our community.

The province’s new model has been designed to provide tailored incentives to address the needs of developers in different markets: rural, mid-size, urban and large urban. This approach will ensure long-term care homes across the province are being built to modern standards that keep residents safe, by addressing issues like infection prevention and control, and replacing ward rooms with single and double-occupancy rooms. This new approach is being applied to all long-term care projects moving forward.