The body that oversees retirement homes in Ontario has revoked the licences of six homes –including four in Hamilton — associated with the owners of The Rosslyn and Emerald Lodge.
The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) says the revocations apply to Cathmar Manor, Dundas Retirement Place, Montgomery Retirement Home and Northview Seniors’ Residence in Hamilton.
It also impacts Greycliff Manor in Niagara Falls and Sheridan Lodge in Brantford.
The RHRA says it believes the licensees of those facilities no longer meet the criteria to be licenced operators of retirement homes, citing compliance or financial issues that impact the health, safety and welfare of residents.
“We understand that residents may have questions about how this will affect them going forward,” said
Kathryn Chopp, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations. “The Registrar has set the
revocation date for June 1, 2021 to allow the licensee to manage an orderly transition and provide some
housing certainty for residents during the challenging circumstances created by the pandemic.”
All six homes are owned by members of the Martino family, who also owned the Rosslyn Retirement Home which was the site of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak during the first wave of the pandemic.
Sixty-four residents and 22 staff were infected, and 16 residents died.
The city of Hamilton said Stefanie Martino was the previous owner and operator of Emerald Lodge residential care facility, which was evacuated in October due to a situation described as “increasingly untenable and unsafe” for residents and staff.
The RHRA said it notified the licensees that it intended to revoke their licences on Nov. 3.
The licensees have the opportunity to appeal the order to the Licence Appeal Tribunal and may also apply for a stay of the revocation order.
Global News has reached out to a lawyer for the Martino family to request a comment from the licencees of the homes impacted by the revocation orders.