Pandemic leaves heartbroken Sudbury senior without Christmas visit with loved ones

A Sudbury senior says he's looking for answers from St. Gabriel Villa in Chelmsford after he and other residents were told they couldn't leave over the Christmas break. (Ian Campbell/CTV News)

Sudbury -

Things are pretty quiet these days at St. Gabriel Villa in the Sudbury community of Chelmsford.

The long-term care home is currently not in outbreak. That's one of the reasons Alex MacLennan is looking for answers after he was told he would not be getting the chance to see his family over Christmas.

"It's a pain in the butt to come and get me, load me in their car, put the wheelchair in, take me to their house, put the wheelchair back at the other end and take me in, but they were willing to do it," said MacLennan.

"But we were stopped, all I want to know is why."

He said he wasn't told his pass was cancelled until a couple days before Christmas. The Sudbury senior said his family had isolated for a few days prior to his planned arrival and he was prepared for extra testing.

Instead, he was left with only a FaceTime visit when it came to seeing his grandchildren.

"I watched them open their Christmas gifts," MacLennan said.

"Then I had to lie to them. I told them that grandpa's nurse was here and that I had to go and then I sat here and cried so that they wouldn't see their grandpa cry. I did not get the hug that a grandpa would usually get."

It's the second straight Christmas MacLennan hasn't been able to be with his loved ones. He understood the first year because of COVID-19 protocols, but he said as far as he can tell, St. Gabriel was one of the only ones in the city to make the move.

Finlandia Village had enacted some restrictions, but it was due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility.

"There were people, too, that also sat in their room and cried," said MacLennan, who added he's still waiting for answers from management.

CTV News reached out to the management of St. Gabriel Villa and so far has not gotten a response.

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas said her heart goes out to the seniors at St. Gabriel.

"I can certainly understand this gentleman's position that we were all looking forward to a normal Christmas this year and then a couple weeks before Christmas, really from the beginning of December, Sudbury and Manitoulin Island became a hot spot for community transmission," she said.

Gélinas said no one is going to like it -- we're all sick of restrictions -- but limiting facilities to essential caregivers is going to protect the most vulnerable.

Restrictions for all Ontario long-term care homes goes into effect as of midnight Thursday morning.