Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government has committed $30 million for a project to build two new long-term care homes on Manitoulin Island — the St. Joseph’s Lodge in Gore Bay and the Wikwemikong Nursing Home. With construction underway, the homes will add a combined 40 new and 120 redeveloped beds to the community, Premier Doug Ford said at an event in Gore Bay on the north shore of the island.
Once complete, St. Joseph’s Lodge will include two resident home areas, designed to create a more intimate and familiar living space for residents, the Office of the Premier said in a statement. The home will have 64 new beds and feature services such as optometry, a hair salon and spiritual care.
The design will incorporate covered decks and 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 overlooking Lake Huron. The home is currently under construction and is expected to welcome its first residents in 2027.
The government funding is also supporting the redevelopment of Wikwemikong Nursing Home, a long-term care home on Manitoulin Island, the statement said. The new 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.
Both projects are recipients under the provincial Capital Funding Program.
