The Ontario government is providing nine retirement residences in the Peterborough area with additional funding to support COVID-19 related expenses.
On Tuesday, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced $370,794.62 will support eight retirement residences in the city and one in Peterborough County with costs such as hiring, training and testing of additional staff, and sanitizing and purchasing supplies to help prevent and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The retirement residences receiving funding are:
- Applewood Retirement Residence: $50,209.60
- Chartwell Jackson Creek Retirement Residence: $34,480.93
- Empress Gardens Retirement Residence: $39,091.06
- Kawartha Heights Retirement Home: $25,803.05
- Peterborough Retirement Residence: $43,972.37
- Princess Gardens Retirement Residence: $49,667.23
- Regency Retirement Residence (Lakefield): $35,294.48
- Royal Gardens Retirement Residence: $49,938.41
- Rubidge Retirement Residence: $42,887.63
“Seniors who have worked hard all their lives and built our communities, deserve nothing less than our wholehearted support,” Smith said. “Today’s funding is another step we’re taking to ensure our retirement homes’ residents and staff are protected while COVID-19 remains a threat.”
Smith says Ontario has more than 770 licensed retirement homes and many are run by small operators who urgently need the government’s support to deal with rising costs related to fighting COVID-19.
Raymond Cho, Ontario’s minister for seniors and accessibility, says home operators are working tirelessly amid the pandemic to keep residents and staff safe.
“Our government’s additional funding will enable retirement homes to purchase more critical supplies like PPE, products to carry out deep cleaning, or to support more on-site testing to help further prevent and contain outbreaks,” he said.
The province on Wednesday will release its 2021 budget, focusing on health protection and further tackling the coronavirus pandemic, Smith noted.
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