Ground breaking on new long-term care facility

The official groundbreaking for the peopleCare long-term care home on Maple Lane took place recently. Taking part in the ceremony were left to right were: Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care Tyler Allsopp, Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy, Jenn Killing of peopleCare, and Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tillsonburg will see 160 new long-term care beds in a modern, person-centered facility operated by peopleCare on Maple Lane.

The official groundbreaking for the facility at 25 Maple Lane, the site of the former Maple Lane Public School, was Jan. 23, but construction at the site has been underway for several months. The new facility will open in fall 2026. A ceremony in the Livingston Centre was attended by peopleCare officials, MPP Ernie Hardeman, MPP and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care Tyler Allsopp and Mayor Deb Gilvesy, prior to a groundbreaking.

Jenn Killing, vice-president of quality, research and strategic partnerships with peopleCare, provided insight into the new facility.

“The new home in Tillsonburg will provide 160 bids in a modern, person-centered space, featuring welcoming lounges, vibrant activity areas and a beautiful central courtyard,” she said. “Unique additions include a children’s play area, a family stayover suite, and specialized care of residents living with dementia.”

She paid tribute to Mary and O’Derald Gingerich, who are the second generation of the family-owned organization. peopleCare started with a facility in Tavistock in the 1960s. Today, peopleCare has facilities in five other communities, with the closest being Delhi.

The facility will be divided into five 32-bed resident areas. Each area will have lounges, a smaller dining space, a bistro, chapel, hair salon and kitchenettes to promote social connections. The smaller home areas will also make for easier navigation. It will also feature a secure outdoor courtyard within the complex.

“We are excited to create a warm and welcoming home for Tillsonburg seniors, offering care that exceeds expectations and supporting families who want the best for their loved one,” Killing said. “Our vision is to develop a vibrant community of care campus that helps seniors live well in this community for generations to come.”

In Oxford County, the long-term care wait list is approaching 1,800 people for the existing 749 beds. Allsopp said the construction of the peopleCare facility is part of a government plan to fix long-term care. This includes hiring tens of thousands PSWs and nurses, driving quality through transparency and enforcement and building 58,000 new beds.

“It’s the largest building program of its kind in Canadian history,” he said. “We’re building Ontario’s long-term care capacity at an unprecedented rate.”

Hardeman paid tribute to peopleCare, and to the work the Gingerich family has done for long-term care in Oxford and the province.

“It’s your family business to help seniors,” he said.

Saying he had been in the Tavistock facility and speaking highly of it, Hardeman added “For anyone needing this service, this is the type of service they will want.”

Mayor Deb Gilvesy thanked the company for providing a needed service in the community. She gave a shout out to the former mayor and council for their efforts in moving the facility forward, and said she heard positive things from mayors in other peopleCare communities.

Mentioning that Tillsonburg is a health hub, not only for south Oxford but also parts of Elgin and Norfolk, she pointed to data from Southwestern Public Health showing the population dynamics.

“The population in Oxford County is aging. This data, combined with the growing population, exasperates the need for this project.”

Following the ceremony, there was a ground breaking on the site under the shadow of the building shell with the first floor roughed in and ready to move on to the second story.