Federal government signs $221-million agreement with Quebec for long-term care homes
The federal government has signed an agreement with Quebec to provide $221 million in funding for long-term care homes in the province to address "gaps in infection control" and staffing issues highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement about the Safe Long-Term Care Fund in Montreal-North Monday morning alongside the MP for Bourassa, Emmanuel Dubourg, and MP Patricia Lattanzio from Saint-Leonard-Saint-Michel.
"We've seen in this particular area of Montreal, and in my own riding, we've seen how damaging the pandemic has been to our seniors in long-term care homes and that was true before the pandemic as well," Duclos said. The funding will help with training for infection prevention control and for use of personal protective equipment, the minister said.
"This is not only for seniors to live safely, but also health-care workers as well."
While this marks a significant investment in Quebec, no one from the province was present for the announcement in Montreal.
When asked by the media, Duclos said he had invited Health Minister Christian Dubé, but he "does not control" his agenda, adding that he is in regular contact with the minister on a number of files.
Canada had set aside $1 billion in the fall economic statement back in 2020 to help the provinces and territories beef up their prevention control measures in long-term care homes. Ontario was granted $379 in SLTCF funding last April.
The health minister said "it took time for the good agreement" to be reached with Quebec for the investment.
The funding announcement comes one month after a scathing assessment from Quebec's coroner following an inquiry of long-term care homes in the early days of the pandemic. Coroner Géhane Kamel's described some of Quebec's CHSLDs as "deplorable" over how residents were treated and died in the first wave.
Through public hearings, it was revealed there were inadequate staff, poor infection control policies, families being banned from seeing their loved ones for several days amid the outbreak. Residents were also known to malnourished for days at a time in care homes that have been described as "war zones."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.