NDP demands province finance entire Cassellholme redevelopment project
The Ontario NDP is calling on the provincial government to fully fund the Cassellholme long-term care home redevelopment project in North Bay.
The province has already promised $65 million to expand the 240-bed facility to add 24 new beds, as well as an Indigenous unit and beds for dementia care.
“New Democrats are fighting for Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli to do the right thing,” said NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh in a press conference Friday morning.
Local NDP candidate Erika Lougheed joined Singh, who is the NDP MPP for Brampton Centre and long-term care critic, to make their plea to the provincial government.
“The way that it’s set up from the start has created the conditions for this to fail, quite frankly," Lougheed said. "And without having that larger contribution from the government to make it happen, the details just make things more complicated.”
Cassellholme’s nine member municipalities are being asked to guarantee the entire project cost, including the province’s portion. Some municipalities have expressed concerns about the high cost and the effect the guarantee could have on their ability to borrow money for other projects.
“It has really put municipalities between a rock and a hard place, making a nearly impossible decision,” Lougheed said.
The announcement comes after the Cassellholme board of management passed a resolution Thursday saying it plans to levy the member municipalities that have not agreed to the full guarantee. The member municipalities that have not agreed so far are North Bay, Mattawa, East Ferris, and Chisholm.
Singh said the extra pressure on the member municipalities could be avoided if the province financed the entire project.
“They have the power to do that and help us get shovels into the ground," she said.
The NDP is promising it would fund the Cassellholme redevelopment to make sure it happens in 2022, if elected. As part of its plan to overhaul long-term care, the NDP has promised to create 50,000 new spaces, end the waitlist, and make the system fully public and not-for-profit.
In a statement issued to CTV News, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said the province will continue to work with the community and Cassellholme to ensure the project’s revitalization goes ahead.
“For years, dating back to my time as mayor of North Bay, Cassellholme has been looking to the province for funding and support,” Fedeli wrote.
“After our government was elected, we secured $65 million in funding for the Cassellholme development. Our government has also helped them access low-interest funding from Infrastructure Ontario – this is identical to a successful approach we have used province-wide.”
The NDP, using data from ‘Home and Community Care Support Services North East’, say 256 people were waiting for a room at Cassellholme as of May.
Singh said long-term care spaces in municipally run homes, such as Cassellholme, are highly sought after so people can stay in their communities close to their loved ones.
“Doug Ford needs to stop making people jump through hoops and he needs to fund this redevelopment project and get it done for the community of Nipissing,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed from Trump hush money trial as prosecutors seek to hold former president in contempt
A juror in Donald Trump's hush money trial was dismissed Thursday after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair and impartial, and the status of a second New Yorker picked for the panel was in limbo amid concerns that some of his answers in court may not have been accurate.