Armenian Community Centre of Toronto to launch the Hallcrown Seniors Home Project
TORONTO — Paul Calandra, Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care was joined by MPP’s Aris Babikian (Scarborough Agincourt), Vincent Ke (Don Valley North) and Robin Martin (Eglinton-Lawrence) as well as Sevag Khoshian, President of the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto (ACC Toronto) to announce that the Ontario government will be adding 1,328 new and 641 upgraded long-term care beds across nine not-for-profit long-term care homes in Toronto, including one municipal home. The announcement was made from the Armenian Community Centre.
As part of this announcement, the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto will be receiving 256 licenses for new long-term care beds to be able to launch the Hallcrown Seniors Home Project. This is the first step in making ACC Toronto’s Long-Term Care (LTC) home a reality. In the coming months Armenian Community Centre of Toronto’s Long-Term Care Home planning committee will continue the build upon this initiative to bring the LTC home to life.
Today’s announcement came as part of the Government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
“Our government has a plan to fix long-term care and a key part of that plan is building modern, safe, and comfortable homes for our seniors,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care. “When these nine not-for-profit homes in Toronto are completed, 1,969 residents will have a new place to call home, near their family and friends.”
The Hallcrown Seniors Home will have a total of 256 new beds to support the much-needed seniors community living in the GTA and will be part of a campus of care. This ensures that the long-term care home is integrated into the broader health care system to ensure residents have access to the care they need. The facility will include state of the art technology, essential and non-essential services, and recreational programming for seniors. This will be done with our LTC management partners. In line with ACC Toronto’s charity mandate and core values, the Long-Term Care home will be run as a not-for-profit entity.
“With the announcement of our Armenian Community Centre Long Term Care Project and the licenses granted by the Ministry, we can proudly say that we will be offering truly cradle to grave services, across our facilities, the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, and more than 10 organizations,” said Sevag Khoshian. “The Armenian Community Centre’s Long Term Care Home will significantly enhance the seniors’ services we offer, expanding upon the years of service our Armenian Seniors Organization, the Armenian Relief Society’s Roubina Chapter, and Social Services Offices have offered.”
The project could not have been possible without our friends in the Ontario Government as well as countless community volunteers – from the project development team to those involved in the construction planning, application writing, and community and government consultation.
Long-time Armenian community advocate and Member of Provincial Parliament Aris Babikian said, “I am honoured to participate in this historic announcement to build 1,328 beds and upgrade 641 beds in Toronto respectively. This announcement is part of our government’s commitment to build 30,000 long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028. The significance of today’s announcement for a number of ethnic communities speaks to our commitment to ensure that seniors receive the best culturally appropriate care in Toronto. After 25 years of waiting, the Armenian long-term care dream is a reality. My heartfelt gratitude to the Premier of Ontario, Minister Paul Calandra, and former Minister Rod Phillips.”
This announcement will transform the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto and the services it offers to seniors living in Don Valley North and the broader GTA. Long-term care builds the series of capital projects the ACC Toronto has already delivered over the past five decades, starting with the development of the Community Centre building at 45 Hallcrown Place in 1979. The project was followed by the A.R.S. Day School expansion in 1982, the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in 1990, the Armenian Youth Centre in 2004, the Armenian Community Centre Renovation in 2010, and final the Armenian Youth Centre expansion, launched in 2021 (currently in progress).
MPP for Don Valley North, Vincent Ke said in his message, “The new construction starting in the spring of 2023 of 256 new beds at the new not-for-profit Hallcrown Seniors Home, which has the incredible support of the Armenian community who have championed this project along with me, promises to meet the needs of many seniors and their families in our community. I welcome this excellent news.”
The Armenian Community Centre will share additional details about the Hallcrown Seniors Home project in the coming months.
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Established in 1968, the Armenian Community Centre is a charity organization that offers the local Armenian community and the GTA community at large the traditions of Armenian culture through artistic, athletic, recreational, intellectual, and social programs. The ACC serves all segments of society – across ages and interests – collectively working towards a more prosperous community in Ontario while promoting the principles of community, volunteerism, leadership, and active and healthy living.