Ground breaks for new 192-bed LTC facility in the Sault

Members from the Missanabie Cree First Nation, provincial government and a local Sault construction company broke ground on a new long-term care facility in the city Friday.

The Missanabie Cree-Maskwa Elder's Care Home will house both members of the First Nation and residents of Sault Ste. Marie when it opens to the public.

"Through partnership, Missanabie Cree can get involved in dealing with the issue of not enough beds in Sault Ste. Marie, not only for our elders but for the aging population in Sault Ste. Marie," said Chief Jason Gauthier, Missanabie Cree First Nation.

"It's really exciting to see this come together after years spent working on it."

For its part, the province will provide an added 64 beds to the site.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature all individual units, said Sault MPP Ross Romano.

"When you look at what we just experienced coming out of COVID-19, when you think about how long that was on the long-term care sector, a lot of that arose from having so many communal rooms in long-term care homes," Romano said.

A price tag for the facility isn't being disclosed as of this time. The construction firm handling the site estimates it will be able to complete it in a little more than a year.