Residents in Alexandria are raising concerns about a proposal that would eventually close the community’s only long-term care home and move its 70 beds to a new facility in Cornwall. The proposal from private operator Southbridge Care Homes would move and upgrade 248 existing long-term care beds from The Palace in Alexandria, Pinecrest in Plantagenet and Heartwood in Cornwall into a new 320-bed facility in Cornwall. The plan would also add 72 new beds overall. Once the new facility is complete, all three existing homes would close, according to the plan. For Alexandria resident Antonio Quesnel, The Palace is more than a building. For him, it means keeping his 83-year-old mother close to home as she ages. “She’s concerned one day she might need full care, and she wants to be here because I’m literally five minutes away from here, and right now I’m the only support person,” said Quesnel. He said moving care to Cornwall would create another barrier for families trying to remain close to loved ones. “I don’t think that’s realistic. Some people don’t have the financial means to drive every day to Cornwall,” he said. Future uncertain for residents, workers North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald said The Palace is an aging facility, but the municipality’s concern is making sure long-term care remains available in Alexandria. “We had to fight to keep our schools not that long ago and here we are once again another stab in the heart of rural Ontario that they’re moving something else to the city,” he said. MacDonald said the township learned about the proposal online and has since reached out to the province to see whether there is a way to keep long-term care in the community. “I worry about the jobs and how many jobs are going to be transmitted there or is everyone going to have to travel there, it’s a real hit to our economy here for sure,” he added. “It almost feels like a fait accompli to us and that’s worrisome.” The United Steelworkers, which represents approximately 135 workers at The Palace and Pinecrest, says it is also concerned about the proposal. In a statement to CTV News, the union said it was “shocked” to learn through the media about the potential loss of services and jobs and warned that uncertainty surrounding the homes could make it harder to retain existing staff and recruit new workers. “For the long-term, we’re concerned about the potential disappearance of services that are desperately needed in these communities. We will do everything we can working in collaboration with municipal representatives, families and other allies, to protect these services and the residents and workers who depend on them,” said Kevon Stewart, director at United Steelworkers District 6, in a statement. France Gélinas, Ontario’s NDP critic for health and long-term care and francophone affairs, says the proposal also raises questions about French-language services at Pinecrest in Plantagenet. “Pinecrest LTC home in Plantagenet’s is designated under the French Language Services Act, meaning residents have the right to receive care in French 24/7 in their community. There is more money to be made in a large LTC home and investors know that, but the government has the responsibility to make sure people living in rural areas have access to long-term care in their community. Any consolidation must protect those rights,” she told CTV News Ottawa in a statement. Homes no longer meet modern standards, MPP says The Ministry of Long-Term Care is currently reviewing the licence request. Local MPP Stéphane Sarrazin said in a statement that his priority is ensuring seniors have access to quality care “as close to home as possible” and invoked the importance of modernizing the facilities. “These facilities have been an important part of our communities for many years, and I recognize the important role they play for residents, families and staff,” the statement said, in part. “At the same time, we must also acknowledge the challenges faced by some of our older long-term care facilities and the need to support them. We know that some of these homes no longer meet the standards required of modern long-term care facilities. Building, fire safety and other standards have evolved significantly over the years and bringing older buildings into compliance can require significant upgrades and investment.” “These challenges have been known for some time. The facilities and those responsible for their operation have had notice of the evolving requirements and time to plan for the future. The province has also been planning for the transition to newer facilities and new beds, knowing that some existing homes would eventually need to be replaced or significantly modernized.” Sarrazin also pointed to new capacity in long-term care homes being developed in the region, including 78 beds at the Prescott Russell Residence in Hawkesbury, 38 beds at Maxville Manor, and 71 beds at Foyer St-Viateur in Limoges, representing 187 additional long-term care beds altogether. At the same time, residents are also raising concerns about the consultation process. “People had the opportunity to have one Zoom call on Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Everybody was at work, including myself,” said Quesnel. “Elderly people that are not technologically savvy, they couldn’t join the call and now the only way you can complain is to send an email.” A petition has now gathered close to 900 signatures calling for long-term care to remain in the community. “We’re asking them to simply come to Alexandria, have a town hall meeting and let us have a voice to explain this,” Quesnel added. CTV News reached out to Southbridge Care Homes and the Ministry of Long-Term Care for comment but did not receive a response by deadline. Comments can be submitted until Oct. 16 by emailing LTCHomes.Licensing@bursonglobal.com or by mail to Burson Canada, 45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1240, Ottawa. Those submitting comments are asked to reference Project No. 26-017.
