New long-term care facility coming to Sandiford Drive in Stouffville

At full build out, proposed development could have 1,036 units

Yorkregion.com
August 1, 2018
Simon Martin

A significant increase in long-term care beds and seniors' housing is coming to Stouffville in the not so distant future.

The Mon Sheong Foundation was awarded 320 long-term care beds by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and plans to build a facility on Sandiford Drive.

According to the town report, the proposed development includes 1,036 units, of which there are 680 long-term care units (to be licensed from the Ministry of Health) and 356 selective continuing care units (not licensed from the Ministry of Health).

While the concept plan in the staff report includes four six-storey building, Mon Sheong Foundation CEO Stephanie Wong said they are focused on building one facility that will house 320 long-term care beds they have been awarded. Wong said they have until the end of 2022 to have the facility ready.

“Currently our focus is on the 320 beds,” Wong said. Mon Sheong currently operates senior facilities in Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Toronto. According to Wong, Mon Sheong’s wait-list for long-term care beds is more than 5,000 people. “The average waiting list time is five to seven years,” she said.

The project is still in the early stages and Wong said Mon Sheong still needs to work on a lot of things with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care about the project. 

Wong said the majority of the residents at Mon Sheong are Chinese because their waiting list is much longer than other long-term care facilities. In reality, people who need the specialized ethnic services are willing to wait longer. “But the facility is not just for Chinese,” she said.

The government will do an assessment on a person and they will have a choice of the homes they want to go to, Wong said.    

Since the proposed development requires a servicing solution that includes new infrastructure to the north to connect to an existing Subtrunk 7 sewer, Mon Sheong will be responsible to pay for the detailed design and installation of the service, to the satisfaction of the town.

The town estimated the proposed development would create approximately 450 jobs.
Long-term care beds are few and far between in Stouffville. According to the town, Bloomington Cove Care has 112 licensed beds and 236 people on the wait-list. An average of three beds become available each month.

Parkview has 128 licensed beds with 533 people on the wait-list. An average of three beds become available every month.

Mon Sheong isn’t the only seniors facility coming. Main Mostar Retirement Developments Ltd., is set to build a six-storey seniors care facility with 260 units, associated indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, as well as above ground and underground parking behind the new Longos plaza.   

“This is great news,” Ward 4 Coun. Rick Upton said. The two seniors homes as well as a new townhouse development next to the Tim Hortons on Main Street will bring hundreds of new jobs to Stouffville, he said.