PERTH-WELLINGTON – The Government of Ontario approved the long-awaited proposal to rebuild peopleCare Stratford, which will create a brand-new, 160-bed long-term care facility in Stratford.
In a virtual announcement on Jan. 13, Rod Phillips, former Minister of Long-Term Care, shared the news along with Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece, Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson, and peopleCare Chairman and CEO Brent Gingerich. Megan Allen-Lamb, president of peopleCare, also attended along with other company officials.
“Because this project is moving forward, many more people who need care will get it,” said Pettapiece. “That is why I have been actively supporting this proposal for well over four years at every opportunity. This announcement is fantastic news for seniors, their families, and the entire community.”
He continued: “I congratulate peopleCare on their successful application, and I thank them for persistently making the case to reinvest in our area. I also want to thank the City of Stratford, the County of Perth, Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Huron Perth & Area Ontario Health Team, and all those who supported it.”
Gingerich underlined his organization’s commitment to the community.
“peopleCare is thrilled to have the opportunity to renew our long-standing commitment to delivering quality care and creating exceptional experiences for seniors and their families in Stratford,” he said.
“We look forward to working in partnership to get shovels in the ground on this exciting project as quickly as possible, so we can bring more care to local seniors in the heart of this community they love,” added Allen-Lamb.
Pettapiece has been supporting peopleCare’s push to redevelop since 2017. He wrote multiple letters to successive long-term care ministers while serving in opposition and in government. He has spoken in the legislature about the project, and met many times with peopleCare officials, ministry staff, and the ministers themselves.
The peopleCare proposal will restore and upgrade the 60 beds taken out of service in 2015, when a flood forced the closure of the previous facility on Mornington Street. It will further create an additional 100 new beds, for a total of 160 beds.
“Good things sometimes take time,” Pettapiece observed. “All along, we have said we need to bring those beds back into service. But this announcement goes even further. It will bring 160 beds in a modern facility to Stratford and Perth-Wellington, right where we need them.
“It demonstrates the province’s commitment to local long-term care.”
Widely known as an appealing community in which to retire, Stratford is expected to see its seniors’ population aged 75 and over grow by about 78 percent by 2030, according to peopleCare.
In addition to the peopleCare proposal, the province has approved 66 new and 62 upgraded beds at Kingsway Lodge in St. Marys; three new beds at Knollcrest Lodge in Milverton; and 128 upgraded beds at West Perth Village (Ritz Lutheran Villa) in Mitchell. Additional new beds have also been allocated for Wellington County.
Across the province, the government is investing $6.4 billion on new and upgraded long-term care beds. This investment will lead to more than 30,000 net new beds and about 28,000 upgraded beds.
