THUNDER BAY -- Ontario's Progressive Conservative Party has its eyes on Thunder Bay's budget process and its members are seeing long term care costs that could be a bad sign across the province.
PC Long Term Care critic Bill Walker criticized the provincial government for sticking the city with a $2.1 million bill following the closure of Dawson Court and Grandview Lodge.
Although city city administration was confident the province would absorb the cost of the homes' labour issues when council passed the 2016 budget, Ontario committed to funding only ongoing operations in 2009,
Walker issued a release on Wednesday, warning as many as 300 Ontario homes designated Class C facilities will need renewal and the Thunder Bay provincial decision casts uncertainty on a course of action.
He claimed as many as a third of the 300 homes built to 1970s design standards could add costs onto property taxpayers, should the management of those facilities change.
"Of those, about 100 homes are operated by municipalities and may face the same fate as Thunder Bay with regard to the downloading of some of the closure costs, an added burden that municipalities and local taxpayers cannot afford," Walker's release reads.
"The Liberal government needs to come clean about its plan to download millions of dollars onto municipalities where local nursing homes will close or amalgamate."
Walker pointed out 27,000 Ontarians are on waiting lists for beds in long term care homes.
