Ontario Building Long-Term Care on Manitoulin Island

Press Release

October 09, 2025

Province building two new, modern homes in Wikwemikong and Gore Bay, bringing 160 beds to the island

GORE BAY — Work is underway to build two new long-term care homes on Manitoulin Island — the St. Joseph’s Lodge in Gore Bay and the Wikwemikong Nursing Home. These homes will add a combined 40 new and 120 redeveloped beds to the community. Both projects are recipients under the provincial Capital Funding Program (CFP) and are part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario by creating good jobs and building for the future, while ensuring that long-term care residents receive the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.

“Our government is investing over $200 billion in our plan to build hospitals, long-term care, roads, schools and other critical infrastructure so we can create good-paying jobs, protect workers and families and guarantee high-quality services to the people of Ontario,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Today’s announcement means 160 Manitoulin residents will have access to two world-class long-term care homes for decades to come.”

Once complete, St. Joseph’s Lodge in Gore Bay will include two resident home areas, designed to create a more intimate and familiar living space for residents. The home will have 64 new, modern beds and feature services such as optometry, a hair salon and spiritual care. The design will incorporate covered decks and extensive glazing that maximizes sunlight year-round. A central bistro will overlook a new outdoor patio, while a garden will offer direct access to a secure courtyard with scenic views of Gore Bay and the East Bluff. The home is currently under construction and is expected to welcome its first residents in 2027.

“Our government is improving access to long-term care by building more homes, hiring more staff and protecting those who reside in them,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Today marks a significant milestone for Manitoulin Island. Once construction is complete, people will have access to two new homes where they can receive the care they need, when they need it.”

The Ontario government is also supporting the redevelopment of Wikwemikong Nursing Home, a long-term care home on Manitoulin Island. The new Wikwemikong Nursing Home will replace the community’s existing home and will be built on a new site in Wikwemikong First Nation. The home will offer 96 beds to Indigenous residents so they can receive culturally appropriate care. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 after planning is completed.

“Our government is proud to work alongside First Nations to ensure that long-term care reflects the needs and values of the communities it serves,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. “The redevelopment of the Wikwemikong Nursing Home is a demonstration of what partnerships can achieve — expanded, high-quality care provided for Elders in their community.”

These projects are part of the Ontario government’s continued progress toward its commitment to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province, as outlined in the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario. This is one more way the government is ensuring Ontarians get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.

Quick Facts

The government’s new Capital Funding Program (CFP) will help build more long-term care homes faster, especially in regions like Northern Ontario. The CFP provides a more equitable funding framework that better reflects regional cost variations while addressing diverse operator needs within the long-term care sector.
The St. Joseph’s Lodge and Wikwemikong Nursing Home projects are eligible to receive up to $30 million and $45 million respectively under the CFP. Total funding is determined by location, which means these projects are eligible for additional funding, as they are in the “north remote” region.
The CFP provides the full amount of ministry funding earlier in the construction process for eligible Indigenous operators and hospital operators in Northern Ontario, where construction can be more difficult, with payments continuing until construction is completed.
As of September 2025, 148 projects representing a total of 24,101 new and redeveloped beds are completed, under construction or have ministry approval to construct.
The CFP, launched in July 2025 as part of the 2025 Long-Term Care Home Capital Funding Policy, is a continuation of the government’s ambitious and extensive long-term care construction campaign and builds on its historic investment levels. The CFP replaces the construction funding subsidy top-up introduced in 2022, which resulted in the largest construction of long-term care projects the government has achieved in a single year.
Building more modern, safe and comfortable homes for our residents is part of the Government of Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
The province is taking innovative steps to get long-term care homes built, including modernizing its funding model, selling unused lands with the requirement that long-term care homes be built on portions of the properties, and leveraging hospital-owned land to build urgently needed homes in large urban areas.

Quotes

“With 160 new and upgraded long-term care beds added to the communities of Gore Bay and Wikwemikong, today is a terrific milestone for Manitoulin residents. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government will continue to make historic investments in health and long-term care so families can get the world-class care they need close to home.”

– Bill Rosenberg
MPP, Algoma—Manitoulin

“The Town of Gore Bay is absolutely delighted to see the construction of a new long-term care home in our community. This is another key aspect of the citizen services and infrastructure revitalization that is taking place in our community, and this new, modern home is going to serve our residents that require long-term care for generations to come. We want to thank the Province of Ontario and St. Joseph’s Health Centre for its partnership on this project and the Douglas A. Smith Family Foundation for its support of this project and others that are assisting us with growing our town.”

– Ron Lane
Mayor of Gore Bay

“This year, we are celebrating 75 years of delivering excellence in care to people across Northeastern Ontario, from hospital care to long-term care. A great way to celebrate our past is by building for the future. We are grateful for the support of the province and the Douglas A. Smith Family Foundation in building this much needed and larger home — St. Joseph’s Lodge — for the residents of Gore Bay and surrounding areas. We can’t wait to welcome residents to their new home with its spacious rooms, beautiful views of the North Channel, healing garden, chapel for spiritual care and warm, welcoming spaces where families can gather.”

– Kari Gervais
President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health Centre

“Wiikwemkoong is proud to share that a new 96-bed long-term care home is coming to our community, so our Elders can continue to live surrounded by family, culture and the land that sustains us. This new home will ensure they continue living their lives surrounded by the land, language and people who give them strength. It is about bringing our Elders home and caring for them in a way that reflects who we are as Anishinaabe. The new Elders’ home will replace the existing facility built in 1972 while creating new jobs, community spaces and opportunities for generations to come. Miigwetch to everyone who has supported this vision — our Elders will soon have the home they deserve, here at home in Wiikwemkoong.”

– Ogimaa Tim Ominika
Chief, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory

Additional Resources

Ontario Building Long-Term Care on Manitoulin Island

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