Province announces LTC funding in Mississauga and Toronto
The Ontario government has made a series of commitments to build long-term care homes in the Greater Toronto Area.
On March 8, the province announced it would sell more than 28 acres of surplus Crown-owned land to developers on condition that they would use at least a portion of the site to build a long-term care facility. The land in question is located at the former site of the (Andy) Bathgate Golf Centre at 600 Eglinton Avenue East in Mississauga. The terms of the sale would see the property house at least 512 long-term care beds.
“Our government is fixing Ontario’s long-term care system, and building new homes like the two that will be built on this site is a key part of our plan,” said Long-Term Care Minister Paul Calandra. “By selling unused provincial lands, more seniors can stay in their community, close to family and friends, while getting the quality of care they need and deserve.”
The Surplus Provincial Lands program is part of the government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province. The program uses the sale of unused government properties to secure much-needed land for building long-term care homes in large urban areas of the province where available land is scarce and costly. The program also opens the door for additional uses such as affordable housing and recreational facilities.
The government has begun the process to sell four surplus government properties to date, with the requirement that purchasers develop and operate long-term care homes on the sites. These properties will provide up to 1,728 long-term care beds in areas where they are urgently needed.
The following day, on March 9, the province announced that it would fund the addition of 1,328 new and 641 upgraded long-term care beds across nine not-for-profit long-term care homes in Toronto, including one municipal home.
The beds will be built at the following homes:
- 100 new beds at Belmont House. These will be added to the existing 140 beds, resulting in a 240-bed home. Construction is expected to start by Summer, 2023
- 256 new beds at the new Hallcrown Seniors Home. Construction is expected to start by Spring, 2023
- 33 new beds at Hellenic Care for Seniors (Toronto). This is an expansion of an existing home and will bring the total number of beds to 114. Construction is expected to start by Fall, 2022
- 320 new beds in a new Sinai Health–Toronto long-term care home. Construction is expected to start by Fall, 2023
- 128 new beds at The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place. This will be a further 128 bed allocation on top of previous allocations of 94 new and 126 upgraded beds, resulting in a new 348 bed home. Construction is expected to start by Fall, 2022
- 256 upgraded beds at Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged. This is a redevelopment of an existing home, and the total number of beds in this home will be 381. Construction is expected to start by Spring, 2024
- 256 new beds at West Park Long-Term Care Centre. This will be a new home built on the existing site of West Park Long-Term Care Centre, which will remain in operation. Construction is expected to start by Spring, 2023
- 56 new beds and 136 upgraded beds at Better Living at Thompson House. Construction is expected to start in Summer 2026
- 179 new beds and 249 upgraded beds for the Seven Oaks a Municipal home operated by the City of Toronto. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2024.
"I am honoured to participate in this historic announcement to build 1,328 beds and upgrade 641 beds in Toronto respectively,” said Scarborough—Agincourt MPP Aris Babikian. “The significance of today’s announcement for a number of ethnic communities speaks to our commitment to ensure that seniors receive the best culturally appropriate care in Toronto."
The Mississauga and Toronto announcements are both part of the Ontario government’s $6.4-billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
As of the date of the announcements, the province had 24,160 new and 19,338 upgraded beds in the development pipeline — which means more than 80 percent of the 30,000 net new beds being delivered are in the planning, construction and opening stages of the development process.