Ontario Construction News staff writer
Construction is underway on a new Yee Hong Finch home in Scarborough, one of 67 projects fast-tracked this fall with the increased provincial construction funding subsidy.
The new site will include 224 new beds and is expected to be completed in spring 2026. The five-storey building will be part of a senior living complex located between the existing Yee Hong Finch Centre and Yee Hong Garden Terrace and design improvements include secured gardens and outdoor café seating, larger resident common areas and air conditioning throughout the home.
“Thirty years ago, I supported Yee Hong’s very first long-term care application and now three decades later I am here to celebrate the additional 224 beds coming to Yee Hong. Now, Yee Hong will have over 1,000 long-term care beds to serve the people in our community,” said Raymond Cho, MPP for Scarborough North.
The design is centred around ‘resident home areas’ that create a more intimate and familiar living space for up to 28 residents, with dining and activity areas, lounges and bedrooms and will offer culturally appropriate services to the Chinese, Japanese, South Asian and Filipino communities, and individuals of other diverse backgrounds.
The provincial government has announced a plan to build than 30,000 net new long-term care beds in Ontario by 2028 and upgrade more than 28,000 older beds to modern design standards.
As of September 2023, more than 43,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario. The median wait time is 118 days for applicants to be placed in long-term care.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in Yee Hong’s commitment to culturally appropriate long-term care and our unwavering support for our community’s elders,” said Dr. Joseph Y. K. Wong, founder and chair, Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation. “As we break ground on this new Finch II home, we sow the seeds of a nurturing environment where compassion, dignity and respect will bloom and blossom. It is a shining example of how our government–community partnership works to benefit our seniors, and a testament to the passion and dedication of our donors, sponsors, staff and supporters to enriching the lives of those who have paved the way for us.”