Rae and Minister Kusendova-Bashta Celebrate Groundbreaking of New peopleCare Long-Term Care Home

July 17, 2025

[Stratford, ON]– Today, Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington, announced the start of construction of peopleCare Stratford’s new 288-bed long-term care home.  

“It is great to welcome peopleCare back to Stratford and celebrate the groundbreaking of their new 288 Long Term Care bed home,” said MPP Rae. “Our seniors helped build our province and country, and our provincial government will be there to support them in their golden years. This redevelopment will ensure that more of our seniors have access to care close to home.”

The new peopleCare Stratford long-term care home will incorporate modern design features including nine Resident Home Areas (RHAs), each creating a more intimate and familiar living space for up to 32 residents. RHAs include both standard and private resident rooms with access to dedicated balconies.  The home’s amenities and services include a chapel, therapy rooms, outdoor paths and amenities, dining and activity lounges and a barber/salon.

“Our government has a plan to improve long-term care and a key part of that plan is building modern, safe and comfortable homes,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Today marks a significant milestone for the community of Stratford. When construction is complete, 288 residents will have a modern, comfortable place to call home.”

This project was originally approved for 160 beds but received approval for an additional 128 beds. Residents are expected to move into peopleCare Stratford new long-term care home in 2027.

This project is part of the Government of Ontario’s progress toward building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province, as outlined in the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario. The government is fixing long-term care to ensure residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve care for long-term care residents is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.

“peopleCare is thrilled to have the opportunity to rebuild in Stratford and deliver a beautiful new 288-bed long-term care home, along with exceptional care and experiences, for local seniors and their families,” said Brent Gingerich, Chairman and CEO of peopleCare Communities. “We sincerely thank the Ontario government for enabling leading organizations like peopleCare to help meet the growing need for long-term care in Ontario.”

“I am pleased with the wonderful progress being made on this continuum of care facility,” said Martin Ritsma, Mayor of the City of Stratford. “The residents of Stratford continually remind me of the need for quality housing for our seniors, along with the onsite care needed to serve the unique needs of each resident. This type of partnership allows us to address housing needs in our community and reflects the City’s strategic priorities and objectives.”