After years of lobbying the province, the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen is finally getting a long-term care home.
On Monday afternoon, provincial health minister Dr. Eric Hoskins and Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal were in Havelock to announce a new 128-bed long-term care home to be built on Old Norwood Road, about 40 kilometres east of Peterborough.
“Our government is committed to supporting Ontario residents who rely on long-term care homes for their ongoing health and personal care needs,” said Hoskins. “The new 128-bed long-term care home in the Havelock community will help more seniors access the care they need in their community, close to family and friends.”
The facility will be part of the township’s plan to create a “health campus” which will also include affordable and supportive housing options for individuals and families, said Mayor Ron Gerow.
The township took their lobbying efforts for a long-term care facility to Queen’s Park in December 2016 after applying for an application in July 2011 to utilize 18 acres of land near Concession Street.
“The Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen is extremely happy to receive this approval from the Dr. Eric Hoskins to support the development of a long-term care home in Havelock that will assist in meeting the rural capacity needs for our Township,” said Gerow.
“We appreciate the ministry recognizing the need for additional long-term care beds in the province.”
The province says the investment is part of its mandate to create 5,000 long-term care beds over the next four years and more than 30,000 over the next decade.
“By increasing the capacity of long-term care beds, this investment will assist seniors and families across the Peterborough area,” said Leal.
Peterborough PC candidate David Smith was quick to criticize the announcement, calling it a pre-election promise.
“Havelock has been fighting for improved access to long-term care for more than a decade, but it’s only now, less than four months before an election where they need votes that the Wynne Liberals decided to show up,” stated Smith. “Our seniors deserve better. Today, more than 32,000 people are on a long-term care waiting list. Not a single new long-term care bed has been approved in the last 15 years by the current Liberal government, until today. The long-term care crisis we are currently in was caused by this government.”