Frequently Asked Questions

The current Cassellholme was built in the 1960s and has served the community very well, but has reached the end of its useful life. In 2007 the provincial government mandated that all long term care facilities would be redeveloped to Class A beds by 2025. A new building is the best, most cost effective option available.

Upon completion, Cassellholme will have 264 beds including 16 beds for our indigenous residents and an additional 8 beds will be added to our special needs units. These additional 24 beds are long overdue and much needed.

Your new Cassellholme will be built on the same, familiar site the current Cassellholme and Castle Arms are located at the intersection of Cassells and Olive Streets.

Your new Cassellholme will be built in phases and will take up to five years to complete. Phases will be undertaken so that new resident space is built and occupied before demolition and removal of current building space. Each new section of the building will replace an existing section of the current building.

The government of Ontario has committed up to $65 million dollars for the project and has advanced roughly 10% of this amount for pre-construction costs such as architecture and engineering. The balance will be generously funded by our partner municipalities though annual operating levies. The total cost to build may be in the $120 million dollar range but will be financed over a 25 year term.

Cassellholme returns roughly $22–25 million dollars in economic inputs to the community through our payroll and local sourcing of goods and services. Our employees pay property taxes, shop in local stores, eat in local restaurants and buy local just like everyone else. Your new Cassellholme will see the number of full and part time staff rise, increasing Cassellholme’s economic footprint.

BDO assisted in researching the best options for financing. All options for financing are based on a payback term of 25 years. Infrastructure Ontario (IO) will cover the cost of the project with a fixed interest for the
full term. This public financing option ensures all public money used for the build stays in the public purse. Private lenders, such as banks, were also considered with the loan being renewed at regular intervals and no guarantee on fixed interest rates. The third option, the most unlikely of all, would be for Cassellholme to levy the municipalities for the full amount.

Unions representing staff have supported the idea of a new Cassellholme since first approvals were received from the province in 2010. A new building means a modern facility where staff are able to perform their jobs more efficiently, without disruptions due to an aging and deteriorating building. A safe and secure work environment is more than an obligation, it’s the right thing to do for the health and well being of staff, residents and visitors.

Cassellholme Board of Management and administration have worked collaboratively with community stakeholders, partners and the province. From the provincial approval to proceed first received in 2010 a great deal of work has gone into the project. A full and detailed timeline is available at timetobuild.ca.

We are very fortunate to have the support and encouragement of, the City of North Bay, and the municipalities of Bonfield, East Ferris, Chisholm, Mattawa, Mattawan, Calvin, Papineau Cameron and South Algonquin.

A quantity survey is conducted by an independent third party before a construction project begins to ensure everything is above board, transparent, appropriate, meets best practices and will meet financial and build targets. In this case, the quantity survey will ensure good value for the tax payer.

If your new Cassellholme isn’t built, at some point by 2025 the province could deem the current building no longer suitable for use as a long term care facility, or, the province could simple force the municipalities to replace it then. The longer we wait, however, the more the project will cost. If a new building had been built in 2010 it would have been considerably less costly than it will be now. Building materials, labour and other costs only rise over time.

Your new Cassellholme will have larger resident rooms, more open public, recreation and treatment spaces to allow for greater personal space and social distancing. As well, state of the art ventilation will ensure better air quality. The new building will be environmentally friendly and meet or exceed all industry standards as well as being AODA compliant in every way. It will also allow for enhanced flexibility moving forward in terms of how our staff manages infectious disease outbreaks.