Finnance Minister and Inverness MLA Allan MacMaster announced a new 96 bed LTC facility in Port Hawkesbury on Friday. Photo: NS Government.

As part of a province-wide strategy to increase access to senior care the Nova Scotia government announced a new 96-room long-term care facility will be built in Port Hawkesbury.

The  broader provincial plan aims to enhance long-term care infrastructure, including modern facilities with single rooms and private washrooms.

“The facilities in Port Hawkesbury, with the exception of one wing are outdated with shared bathrooms, not much open space and other things that are now common in modern facilities,” said Inverness MLA and Finance Minister Allan MacMaster.”

MacMaster attended the announcement which took place on Friday and says staff and residents of the existing facility were ecstatic to receive the news with many surprised by the size of the new facility.

As for if the facility will meet local demands, MacMaster hopes so, “A lot of work went into researching where beds are needed, and I feel this should greatly help people in the Strait area, along with Guysbourough and Inverness counties be able to find long term care spaces close to home much easier,”.

The provincial initiative to add 2,200 rooms to the long-term care system, replacing older homes and introducing new facilities, is part of a phased plan expected to be completed by 2032.

No specific timeframe has been provided for the project in Port Hawksbury, but MacMaster indicated he hopes it can open within 3 to 4 years.