It was a proud day for a local family that’s been in the Long Term Care business for decades.
The owner of Belleville’s Westgate Lodge senior’s home and CEO of Crown Ridge Health Care
Services Greg Freeman welcomed the Minister of Long Term Care Paul Calandra, MPP Todd Smith,
and municipal leaders to a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday.
Work has already begun on a 4 storey addition to Westgate Lodge which will bring 80 new long term care beds to the area.
The existing structure will be renovated and when all of the work is completed Westgate Lodge will have a total of around 160 beds, an increase from the current 88. The province is paying for the $86 million project which should be ready for occupation sometime in 2025.
Minister Calandra highlighted the vastly increased investments the goverment is making to add new long term care beds and boost staffing levels and thanked the Westgate Lodge staff for their dedication.
“The sacrifices that you made went above and beyond the call of duty. Nobody could have ever asked you or imagined what you’ve been called to do during the pandemic and you have all done it. And that is why we (government) will continue to work very very hard.”
Calandra also had high praise for Bay of Quinte riding MPP Todd Smith whom he called a persistent “nuisance” around the cabinet table pushing for new long term care beds in the Quinte region. Calandra joked that as Minister of Energy Smith threated to cut off his electricity if the expansion/renovation project wasn’t approved.
Meanwhile the Mayor of Belleville Neil Ellis said the expansion to 160 beds from 88 was great news.
“Our most vulnerable citizens deserve support and safe living spaces with the funding by the province to build this new addition to our city it will finally shorten the wait times for our citizens and provide them primary health care.”
Greg Freeman thanked the City of Belleville’s staff and council, saying he couldn’t have had better municipal partners to work with on such a complex project as they guided him through the approvals process smoothly and quickly.
A ground breaking was also held Thursday at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee where a new 128 bed long term care home is being built.
Bay of Quinte riding MPP Todd Smith speaks at the podium while the Minister of Long Term Care Paul Calandra (center) and Westgate Lodge owner Greg Freeman look on. (Photo: Quinte News)
