Photographed following Friday's announcement are Sister Rosemary MacDonald, Premier Robert Ghiz, Sister Carmalita Soloman and Minister of Health and Wellness, Doug Currie. Submitted photo
SUMMERSIDE – The provincial government announced on Friday that it was adding 55 new nursing home beds to the Island.
Amongst the recipients are Andrews of Summerside which will receive funding for 10 beds; Atlantic Baptist Home in Charlottetown, 15 beds; and a new facility at Mount St. Mary’s in Charlottetown, 30 beds.
Premier Robert Ghiz and Health Minister Doug Currie made the announcements in Charlottetown.
“With these new beds and our $63 million program to replace the five provincial manors, government is working hard to ensure that Island seniors have good access to the health facilities and services they need and deserve,” said Ghiz.
“These new beds will meet the needs of seniors and their families,” added Currie.
“At the same time, they will ease the pressure on acute care beds and enable us to provide better access to better care for all Islanders.”
Included in the announcement was the news that the Mount, home to the Sisters of St. Martha, will be redeveloped into a combined long-term care and community care facility.
The Catholic order nuns are selling their building and will be working with a developer to create a new home for themselves and the general public.
The province retains an option to purchase the excess lands not required for the project.
The lands are ideally placed in the centre of Charlottetown and are adjacent to UPEI.
Sister Rosemary MacDonald, congregation leader, told those gathered at the announcement that her group where happy to be ensuring their own future while still helping the community.
“Our community is about a common support system, prayer and togetherness; it helps strengthen us as individuals in ministry and as a group for living out our mission. We have been working for a number of years to find a way for us to age together as a community. This new development will allow us to remain a community throughout the rest of our years, while still giving back to the Island community as a whole,” said MacDonald.
The sisters were actually some of earliest organized healers on the Island, founding many of the province’s hospitals.
“We started with nothing, and our Sisters made many sacrifices,” said MacDonald.
“From the very beginning we’ve been giving to health care, so it is only fitting that now our Home is becoming a health care facility to help meet the needs of Island seniors.”
Premier Ghiz said the sisters could not be thanked enough for their contributions to Island healthcare, education and social work.
“Allowing the Sisters to age as a community is one small way we can recognize the Sisters for their tremendous dedication and commitment to Islanders,” said Ghiz.
