Work begins on new long-term care home in Vancouver

Construction is underway on St. Vincent's Heather, a new long-term care home that will increase access to care for seniors in the Lower Mainland.

"This new long-term care home is a meaningful step forward as more seniors need support to age with dignity and stay connected to their communities," said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. "We're building a modern, welcoming space where seniors can feel at home and receive the care they deserve - all while strengthening local health-care capacity and creating good jobs in the community."

St. Vincent's Heather is a new 13-storey long-term care home that will include space for 240 residents and help meet the needs of local seniors. It will feature:

* Community living with personal space: 20 households on 10 floors will each support 12 residents in private rooms with ensuite bathrooms and shared living, dining, kitchen and laundry spaces.

* Support for people with dementia: The design and daily routines are based on a model that helps people with dementia stay active, social, and feel more at home.

* Onsite amenities: The centre includes a theatre, hair salon, library, café bistro, chapel, and rooms for physiotherapy and exercise.

* Culturally inclusive spaces: Indigenous-centred features include a sacred room for cultural and spiritual care, and a medicine garden with traditional healing plants.

* Connected to the community: The site will include a 37-space child care centre with an outdoor play area, a community centre, and a public plaza helping the neighbourhood stay connected.

The 240-bed long-term care home is expected to open in 2028. The new space will offer 15 new beds and will also welcome seniors from older Providence care facilities, offering improved, modern care. The spaces freed up at those sites will be repurposed to support other growing health care-needs across the Lower Mainland. The building's design was developed in collaboration with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, following Indigenous design guidelines to reflect Indigenous values and culture.

St Vincent's Heather long-term care home is part of the Province's plan to improve care for seniors throughout B.C. To meet growing demand, over the past five years, government has invested approximately $3.5 billion to expand and improve quality care for seniors in British Columbia, including investments in primary care, home health, long-term care and assisted living.

Susie Chant, parliamentary secretary for seniors' services and long-term care, said, "Seniors' long-term care needs should be met in a place that feels like home. At St. Vincent's Heather, we're creating a long-term care environment rooted in dignity, connection, and community, where older adults in Vancouver can stay active engaged, and supported close to the people and places they love."

Christine Boyle, MLA for Vancouver Little-Mountain, said, "Every senior in our community deserves to age with dignity and comfort. This new long-term care home is more than just beds - it's about creating a true home where people feel safe, respected and supported. We're building for the future and putting people at the heart of care."

"St. Vincent's Heather will help seniors access long-term care in Vancouver where they can feel at home and get the care they need to live comfortably. It is designed to allow residents to live with dignity, while enjoying a sense of community with other residents. Vancouver Coastal Health welcomes the additional long-term care beds to the region. The facility will enrich the neighbourhood, as well as the broader system of health care, " said Vivian Eliopoulos, president and CEO, Vancouver Coastal Health. 

Mark Blandford, president and CEO, Providence Living, said, "With St. Vincent's Heather, we're building more than a care home. Driven by our mission of compassionate and socially just care, Providence is building a community rooted in dignity, autonomy and emotional connection. This project brings our person-centred Home for Us model to an urban setting, drawing on the success of our Comox village, where we have seen how transformative this approach can be. By prioritizing home-like living, resident-directed care and deep human relationships, we're setting a new standard for what long-term care can and should be."

Picture Courtesy: Providence Healthcare