Extendicare hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday afternoon (June 13) for a new 256-bed long-term care home at 514 Hillside Street in Peterborough.
The ceremony was attended by Ontario long-term care minister Paul Calandra, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, and Extendicare president and CEO Dr. Michael Guerriere.
Set to be completed by fall 2025, the four-storey 152,600-square-foot building will replace Extendicare Peterborough’s existing facility at 860 Alexander Court. All current residents will be moving into the new facility, along with an additional 84 people on the province’s long-term care waitlist.
“Extendicare has a 50-year history of operating long-term care homes in Ontario,” said Guerriere. “With this project, we are building for the next 50. This new home will serve 256 residents in a modern care environment that will enhance care delivery and resident quality of life. Breaking ground today is the next step in our plans to redevelop all of our older homes across the province.”
According to a fact sheet from Extendicare, the new facility will double the square footage per resident, with all residents having their own bedroom. There will be eight self-contained communities of 32 residents, each with dedicated dining rooms, activity spaces, and communal lounges.
The new facility will also have a country kitchen and cafe, a physiotherapy room, a chapel, a beauty salon and barber shop, as well as several outdoor courtyards and visiting spaces accessible for all residents and their families.
Extendicare’s staff team will increase by around 100 employees with additional roles created in clinical, resident programming, and support services positions. Clinical services will include professional nursing, 24-hour personal care, access to a physician, restorative care, and palliative care.
The Ontario government has committed to spending $6.4 billion to build 30,000 new long-term care beds by 2028, as well as redeveloping 28,000 older beds to modern design standards.
As of February, more than 39,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario.
