• The Town of Stouffville presented Mon Sheong Foundation with a final Certificate of Occupancy for its new 224-bed Dr. Paul Woo Long-Term Care Centre.
  • The new site adds to Mon Sheong’s presence in the community, bringing its total long-term care bed count in Stouffville to 554.
  • Occupancy of the facility will begin in the coming weeks, prioritizing crisis care patients whose needs cannot be met at home.
  • Mayor Iain Lovatt and Members of Council attended the ceremony, praising the speed and quality of the project.
  • Mon Sheong leadership credited Council and Town Staff for helping complete the build in under two years.
  • Lovatt appeared to reference a pending Minister’s Zoning Order to expand seniors housing on the site, indicating the proposal is poised to move forward with provincial support.

 

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville formally presented the Mon Sheong Foundation with its final Certificate of Occupancy on Wednesday for the new Dr. Paul Woo Long-Term Care Centre, located on Sandiford Drive. Mayor Iain Lovatt, along with Councillors Maurice Smith and Richard Bartley and several members of the Town’s senior staff, joined Mon Sheong board directors, management, and ambassadors at the event.

The facility includes 224 long-term care beds, prioritized for crisis care patients whose medical and support needs can no longer be met at home. Combined with Mon Sheong’s existing facility already in operation, the organization has now delivered a total of 554 long-term care beds in Stouffville.

“Our new facility is named after the late Dr. Paul Woo, a resident of Stouffville and a cherished and inspiring member of the Mon Sheong family,” said Mon Sheong Foundation Board President Garth Low. “As the medical director of Mon Sheong’s Richmond Hill Long-Term Care Centre for nearly two decades, Dr. Woo worked tirelessly to establish an excellent medical care network and nurture a professional and compassionate team.”

“Dr. Woo died in April 2024, and to acknowledge his inspiring leadership and dedication to our community, we hope to honour his memory by providing resident-centered care services that reflect his spirit of dedication and care,” Low added.

Board Chairman Tim Kwan credited Stouffville’s Council, Commissioner of Development Services Dwayne Tapp, and Chief Building Official George Zacharakis for their roles in fast-tracking the project, which was completed in under two years. It’s a feat he says was unheard of by Ontario’s Ministry of Long-Term Care.

“We went as fast as we could,” Kwan said during the event, noting the project broke ground in August 2023. “When our CEO, Stephanie Wong, advised the Ministry they were ready…they asked for an explanation how we could build so fast.”

Kwan highlighted several features of the new facility, including airport-style body temperature scanners at the entrance and resident floors to screen for illness, high-filtration air purification systems on every level, and private washrooms in every room. He also touched on the large number of tablets Mon Sheong has purchased for residents, which he said will be especially helpful in entertaining those with dementia.

“With this ceremony, we hope to express our gratitude to His Worship, Mayor Lovatt, Town Council, and officials of the municipal offices for working tirelessly by our side,” Low said in his concluding remarks. “It is our honour to receive this Certificate of Occupancy from the Town, signaling the start of a new chapter in our friendship.”

Lovatt commended Kwan, the Mon Sheong team, and the many construction workers and tradespeople involved. “In February, a number of us walked through this building when it was concrete walls and dust,” he said. “To see the transformation since February, to a point where you can start receiving patients next week, is truly incredible.”

The Mayor also pointed to a growing waitlist of more than 1,100 people hoping to secure a place in the new facility, calling it a clear indication of the urgent need to eliminate barriers at both the provincial and local levels to accelerate timelines for new long-term care beds.

Appearing to allude to a controversial Minister’s Zoning Order he endorsed last year for expanded seniors housing on the Mon Sheong lands, Lovatt said he recently spoke with Premier Doug Ford about the proposal.

“There’s a whole other project that we have planned for this site, and we’re going to get that unstuck and get that moving,” Lovatt told Kwan. “We are so happy that you chose Stouffville, and we have big plans… There’s a lot more to do.”