The Cassellholme redevelopment will be starting up later this summer.
Officials say the project will result in a state-of-the-art long-term care home with an increase in bed count from 240 to 264.
“It’s good news for seniors, good news for our community and certainly good news for our staff as well,” says Jamie Lowery, CEO of Cassellholme.
The cost of the project is $122-million with the province providing up to $65-million.
Lowery says it includes much more than just construction.
“The number obviously looks scary, it’s $122-million. But what you have to factor in is a healthy contingency just in case something goes wrong, and there’s a lot of prepaid expenses in there, the architects, the engineers, the lawyers,” he says.
The new facility will include larger, more efficient rooms, corridors and common space, and much more.
“There’s a Designated Specialized Unit (DSU) because, for many that are involved with seniors, the incidents of cognitive impairments or dementia or Alzheimers are really on the rise. Then there’s an Indigenous Unit for culturally appropriate and safe care, probably the only one in Ontario that I know of,” Lowery says.
The new building was designed by local architects, Mitchell Jensen, and is bright and airy and includes contemporary HVAC for better ventilation management and infectious disease control.
The plan is to start construction in late August.
“Now it’s just putting the financing plan together, many options available to the municipalities because the province has confirmed their contribution so it’s really getting that done and approvals from the Ministry of Long-term Care,” Lowery says.
“Eleven years of planning and preparations have gone into this,” says Chris Mayne, Cassellholme Board Chair and North Bay City Councillor. “There is still work to do, and with the strong support of our municipal partners, we now look forward to starting construction.”
There will also be a capital campaign to raise funds through the community.
A website, timetobuild.ca has been set up and provides extensive details on the redevelopment, which has been discussed for more than two decades and was approved in 2010.
“This is long overdue,” Said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. “We made a promise Cassellholme would be a priority and we continue to push hard for the project. We’re fully behind it.”
A sod-turning ceremony is planned for early September.
