Hamilton breaks ground on new long term care home

Construction is now underway on Shalom Manor Hamilton, a 188-bed long-term care home being built in the city’s south-end, one of 67 projects fast-tracked over the past year in Ontario to help meet the demand for long-term care beds with more than 43,000 people on the waitlist.

The Province is kicking in $6.6 million for the six-storey facility through an increased construction funding subsidy, with the long term care home at 1411 Upper Wellington Street expected to welcome its first residents in the spring of 2026. Facility operators Shalom Manor, which has roots tied to the local Dutch Reformed Christian community, have kicked off a $22 million fundraising campaign.

Provincial Long-Term Care Minister Stan Cho was at Thursday’s ground-breaking and congratulated the Shalom Manor team for getting shovels in the ground while promising that is government is “fixing” long term care in Ontario.

Ontario Long Term Care Minister Stan Cho

“Today marks a significant milestone for Hamilton. When construction is complete, 188 residents will have a new, modern and comfortable place to call home.”

The new building will feature several design innovations, including an art studio, horticultural centre, exercise studio, gym, larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home. The design is also centred around ‘resident home areas,’ each of which creates a more intimate and familiar living space for up to 32 residents, with dining and activity areas, lounges and bedrooms.

Shalom Manor Hamilton also intends to offer specialized services such as behavioural support and be part of a campus of care, which helps integrate the long-term care home into the broader health care system and ensures residents can conveniently connect to the care they need.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating this milestone today which brings years of planning to fruition, fulfilling the vision of our founders over 40 years ago to provide long-term care to residents in Hamilton and the surrounding area,” said Shalom Manor Chair Margaret Louter. “This achievement is made possible by our dedicated staff and volunteers, the invaluable and ongoing support of our government, and the unwavering commitment of the donors in our community in helping us realize today’s momentous occasion. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone who played a role in this joyous achievement.”

Shalom Manor CEO John Peneycad said the ground-breaking marked the beginning of the “next phase in our journey” to expand Shalom Manor into the Hamilton area. “New, modern long-term care homes like Shalom Manor’s Hamilton Campus will offer residents person-centred care and service, promoting a culture of quality, innovation and transformative change. It is an exciting sign of what the future holds for long-term care in Ontario.”

“We are thankful for the continued support of the government, our board leadership, the dedication of our staff, and the many donors who faithfully contributed to our fundraising campaign in bringing this to fruition.”

Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Neil Lumsden called it a “significant milestone” for Hamilton.

“I am proud that our government is taking action to ensure that Hamilton seniors are able to receive the care that they need – and enjoy the high quality of life that they deserve – within the very community that they helped to build.”

As part of its plan to address the waitlist issues for long term care, the Province is building more than 30,000 new long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028 and upgrading more than 28,000 older beds to modern design standards.