Campbell River seniors will be able to access a new long-term care home in about five years, the premier and health minister announced today.
The new home will have 153 beds, will be built on the hospital site, and will cost around $153 million dollars. Health Minister Adrian Dix says it will help reduce pressure on hospitals, and get seniors the care they need, especially for seniors who have been waiting for years for a place to stay.
“We owe a debt, I think, to everybody who’s been in long-term care and will be in long-term care, to do better,” he says.
Dix and Premier David Eby were at the hospital this morning to make the announcement.
“This new long-term care facility will be a vibrant new home for seniors on Vancouver Island,” Eby says. “Seniors deserve to age with dignity and receive the care they need in the community they know and love.”
Other dignitaries attended the announcement, including North Island MLA Michelle Babchuk, who Dix and Eby said has been a major force getting the facility approved. City representatives were also present, including Mayor Kermit Dahl who says the new home is a significant investment.
“We say 153 beds, but I don’t think most people would realize that Yucalta is only 101 beds now,” he says. “This is a huge increase of beds for the North Island and it’s going to make a huge difference.”
The project is in the design and procurement phase. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, and completed for people to move in sometimes in 2027 or 2028.
