TCMH eyes another new long-term care build

By Lee Griffi

Another new long-term care home could be coming to New Hamburg.

Tri-County Mennonite Homes (TCMH) has been awarded 224 beds from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The bed allotment is in addition to the 160-bed home the non-profit is currently constructing. The new development would be located nearby on Neville Street and connect to the Nithview Home redevelopment, expected to open in 2027.

The non-profit care provider said it is required to meet ministry timelines for the project, which, if approved, would break ground next year and be completed in 2030. Wilmot Township council debated a zone change application for the property, something needed for it to move forward. It is currently zoned Zone 4 Residential but needs to be Zone 12 Institutional to allow for a long-term care home.

Council approved the current zoning in 2020 to allow a residential apartment building with 97 units, a project that was never built. TCMH has owned the land for years but shifted its focus from seniors' apartments to long-term care in response to demand as wait lists continue to grow.

Reaction to the proposal was mixed from members of council. Coun.  Kris Wilkinson, while supportive overall, has concerns about its height.

“I am strongly opposed to the height of eight stories or effectively nine stories when it's viewed to the south. It’s simply too tall for the location and, in my opinion, out of character and scale with the surrounding community.”

He added he would like to see it reduced to a maximum of six stories.

“I would ask the applicant to examine if this could potentially be accomplished through different designs.”

Coun. Steven Martin said he is well aware of how lengthy the long-term care bed waitlist is and is ready to support the TCMH proposal.

“I know there are people who have to leave our community for long-term care and I think that’s sad. My own parents were on a list for two years … and my father subsequently died and my mother is in long-term care.”

Planner Brian Shantz spoke at the meeting on behalf of TCMH and explained the need for long-term care beds continues to rise.

“A significant percentage of the population continues to move into the latter stages of life. Tri-County recognized their current facilities will not meet the demand, and this is a wonderful opportunity for Wilmot to add to facilities to allow more seniors to stay within their own community.”

He added TCMH and Wilmot are fortunate to have been awarded 224 additional beds.

“It doesn’t happen everywhere. Please note a neighbourhood meeting has been held with the adjacent residents prior to the submission of this application to better explain the concept to them.”

52 households adjacent to the land were invited to the meeting, with about 10 residents showing up.

“One of the elements that is an improvement in this scenario is the building itself is further away from the nearby residences,” added Shantz.

Coun. Lillianne Dunstall said the job creation numbers and more long-term care beds would be welcome additions to Wilmot but questioned the need for such a tall building.

“Why eight to nine stories? We already have an issue with five to six stories, and my understanding is the piece of land you have could actually go out a little more so we could reduce the height. Is that something you would be willing to consider?”

Shantz explained the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has strict rules when it comes to building design, and TCMH doesn’t have a choice.

“The ministry has what’s called residential home areas (RHA’s), each of which is ultimately a maximum of 32 beds. To try and put a footprint with 32 beds per RHA on the site, and that is what we are proposing now stacked above each other, if they were to go side by side, it wouldn’t be able to be developed on this site.”

If approved, the new home is expected to create 600 full-time jobs in the township, in addition to the hundreds of positions expected once the current Nithview redevelopment is complete.

“This is considerable in a community of this size, along with other economic benefits,” added Shantz.

A staff recommendation and final council decision will be made at a later date.