July 28, 2020 – Ontario Premier Doug Ford Media Conference from Ajax Ontario

AJAX – POLITICS –  The Ontario government announced that a new long-term care home will be built at Lakeridge Health’s Ajax Pickering Hospital site in months, not years. The project is part of the province’s Accelerated Build Pilot Program. By working with Lakeridge Health and Infrastructure Ontario, the province intends to build up to 320 new long-term care beds by 2021 at this site.

The pilot program is part of the government’s plan to create new long-term care beds across the province that include features such as air conditioning and private or semi-private rooms, beginning immediately. The pilot program was launched last week in Mississauga where 640 new beds will be built by 2021.

Details about the new project were provided today by Premier Doug Ford who was joined by Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, Sharon Cochran, Chair of the Lakeridge Health Board of Trustees, John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for the Regional Municipality of Durham, and Shaun Collier, Mayor of Ajax.

“Government after government failed to make the necessary investments in our long-term care homes and that ends now,” said Premier Ford. “With our new modernized funding model and this innovative pilot program, we will get shovels in the ground faster on these critical projects and ensure more seniors get the quality care they deserve. I won’t rest until every senior in Ontario has a safe and comfortable place to call home.”

Through the use of hospital lands, and a range of accelerating measures such as modular construction and rapid procurement, the government and its partners are targeting completion of the project in 2021, years faster than the traditional timeline. Lakeridge Health will work with Infrastructure Ontario to manage the day-to-day construction oversight, monitor commissioning, and provide timely status reporting on progress.

“This project is a key step towards repairing the cracks in our long-term care system, addressing our growing waitlist, building healthier communities, and ending hallway health care,” said Minister Fullerton. “Our government will continue to implement innovative ideas and modern solutions to provide our vulnerable seniors with a place to call home and the care they need.”

Working together with long-term care and health system partners, Ontario continues to use innovative ideas and modern solutions to help end hallway health care and increase long-term care capacity in communities across the province.

Premier Doug Ford will be joined by Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, Shaun Collier, Mayor of Ajax, and Sharon Cochran, Chair of the Lakeridge Health Board of Trustees, to make an announcement on building long-term care capacity.