Construction has started on the new Sarnia Trillium Villa Nursing home.
Dignitaries, residents, and staff attended a groundbreaking ceremony Friday at the new site on Michigan Avenue.
Early stages of construction started in the summer, and the $60 million project will bring eight new beds to the home.
Steeves and Rozema CEO John Scotland said the redevelopment is needed.
"It's only eight additional spaces but it also preserves those 152 [beds] that have existed, that have done great but are long overdue for redevelopment," he said.
Scotland said redeveloping long-term care homes like Trillium Villa is important because it provides system access and flow to the healthcare system.
"If they can get a placement into long-term care where they're cared for in a home-like environment, congregate dining, individual rooms, programs designed to keep them active, healthy and engaged then we all win," he said.
The new building will feature five resident home areas, which will create a more intimate and familiar living space for up to 32 residents.
"We're going to go from 50,000 square feet to about 100,000 square feet with relatively the same number of residents," Scotland said. "Instead of two large dining rooms that we have at Trillium, we're going to have five separate dining rooms."
Additionally, there will be activity areas and lounges, a central courtyard, outdoor balcony or patio, and nursing and utility spaces.
The home will also have a chapel, café, tuck shop, beauty salon, gardens, and exam rooms.
Funding for the redevelopment came through the Ontario Construction Funding Subsidy top-up program.
Scotland said this program was critical in getting Trillium Villa redeveloped.
"We of course have to finance the project and put mortgages in place but that allows us to support the repayment of that debt over the 25 year period. But it simply wouldn't be possible," he said.
Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta said the province is committing $155 million towards the program.
"This is really helping operators with construction costs, which have been escalating for various reasons over the years," she said.
Kusendova-Bashta said it is good news that the long-term care home is under construction.
"These homes will serve us for the next 30, 40 years and it's really a vision that we're seeing a future to help our seniors age in place," she said.
Kusendova-Bashta added that all rooms will either be private or semi-private.
Residents are expected to move into the new space in 2026 and then the old Trillium Villa will be demolished.
