Tri-County Mennonite Homes breaks ground on new long-term care home

New Hamburg’s Nithview adding 63 beds

Several elected officials and other dignitaries took part in a groundbreaking ceremony in New Hamburg on Tuesday afternoon to commemorate the construction of the new Nithview long-term care home in New Hamburg. Photo by Lee Griffi

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It was a brief groundbreaking ceremony on the grounds of Tri-County Mennonite Homes’ (TCMH) Nithview Home during a heat wave, but the celebration of what will be a new, modern long-term care home carried on inside.

The current home holds up to 97 residents, but when the new build is completed in the spring of 2027, it will house 160 seniors and others in need of 24-hour care.

The provincial government gave TCMH the green light to proceed with plans for the new home in 2020, but the pandemic put the brakes on for three years. CEO Dr. Steven Harrison said efforts behind the scenes carried on.

“That’s not to say we ever stopped working. We worked on conceptual planning, but it was not our main focus during that time.”

Harrison added once a meeting with the design team on April 24 of last year was over, he knew the project was ready to proceed.

“Two redesigns, five cost-consultant reports, thousands of hours of effort and 10 months later, we commenced construction.”

Work on the site began in February of this year, leading up to Tuesday’s festivities. Harrison explained the ripple effect of the new build will be tangible.

“In the end, we are committing about $60 million to this project as Tri-County. The increase in beds will add an additional $10 million annually to our local economy and bring our funding for long-term care at this site to $24 million, of which $17 million will be spent on staffing. That’s 325 jobs for this community.”

Harrison was thankful for the support of the non-profit operation’s board of directors, Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris and Ontario’s minister of long-term care, Natalia Kusendova-Bashta.

“She has been a tremendous support for this program and is currently on parental leave and couldn’t be here today. It is the work of the ministry and the government that has helped us get to this point. It is that collective commitment that will make us stronger.”

Harrison also pointed to the support of Wilmot Township and Mayor Natasha Salonen who tabled a motion last fall to have all development fees waived for the project, a reduction of nearly $1.5 million. After considerable debate, council passed the motion.

“This was an outstanding commitment, not only to this project, but to the community, and it was fraught with challenges. Anyone in this community knows it was not an easy decision to make but it was the right one.”

He added council’s decision meant more local residents will be able to age safely and closer to home. Since then, the Ontario government has mandated all municipalities waive development charges for any long-term care development.

The groundbreaking and presentations invoked an emotional response from some speakers, particularly TCMH board chair Bruce Bechtel, who fought back tears.

“(It) will become not just a building, but a place of care, of compassion, of dignity, a place called home. I get emotional.”

Among the many dignitaries present was Donna Duncan, CEO of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association. She explained the Doug Ford government has been at the table as a willing participant to bring more beds online in Ontario.

“They made a promise and they stuck to it. They have made a continuous commitment to build and to see what works. If things aren’t working, they go back to the drawing board and make changes.”

PeopleCare recently opened new long-term care homes in Tavistock and Delhi, something Duncan said shows the province is focusing on small-town Ontario, not just the GTA.

“We have to make sure aging in place means aging in your community. Today, we heard from Mike Harris and Steven Harrison about the importance of community, and where we are seeing the greatest success is in areas where communities are embracing projects. The partnerships between the organizations and provincial and municipal governments are important.”

The project is part of the Ontario government’s commitment to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province. As of this month, 147 projects representing a total of 23,977 new and redeveloped beds are completed, under construction, or have ministry approval to construct.

“This groundbreaking is great news for our community,” said Harris. “Replacing the Nithview Home with a new state-of-the-art facility will ensure our community has access to the care they need for generations to come.”

The design of the new building will include five resident home areas with private and standard rooms, providing residents with a more intimate and familiar living space, complete with dining and activity areas, and lounges. The building will include a garden level centralized “hub,” café, gathering place, chapel, hair salon and welcome centre. The new home will allow residents to experience more natural light, views of nature and a physical connection to a long-term care garden.

“This new long-term care home is a significant investment in Wilmot, made possible by the province and Tri-County Mennonite Homes, said Salonen. “It will bring over 100 new jobs to our community and offer more choice for aging in place.”