MPP Oosterhoff Welcomes Opening of Long-Term Care Home in Welland
October 31, 2025
Welland – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, welcomed, today, the opening of the new Foyer Richelieu Welland, a Francophone long-term care home which will add 128 modern long-term care beds to Niagara. This project is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario by creating good jobs and building for the future, while ensuring long-term care residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.
“Seniors across our province and in Niagara deserve to receive quality care with dignity and respect,” said MPP Oosterhoff.
“The addition of 128 modern beds at Foyer Richelieu in Welland will help ensure our local Francophone seniors have a safe and modern space to call home in a culturally appropriate and faith-based context.”
“The opening of the new Foyer Richelieu Welland marks a significant milestone in our government’s plan to protect residents and increase access to world-class health care across the province, including here in Niagara,” said Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care.
“It is also an important day for Ontario’s Francophone community, as Foyer Richelieu will offer all 128 beds to Francophone residents so they can receive care that is tailored to their cultural and language needs.”
The redeveloped Foyer Richelieu Welland home will provide sixty-six new and sixty-two upgraded beds and is now accepting its first residents. The new building is designed around four Resident Home Areas, which create more intimate and familiar living spaces for up to thirty-two residents with their own dining and activity areas, lounges and bedrooms. The new 128-bed home features enhanced resident spaces, including a bistro, beauty salon and social room.
“The brand-new Foyer Richelieu Welland represents our government’s commitment to delivering high-quality care to residents in their language of choice,” said Hon. Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs.
“Today’s announcement builds on our government’s plan to expand access to care and bolster Ontario’s Francophone culture, population and economy for years to come.”
The redevelopment of Foyer Richelieu Welland was enabled by the province’s Not-For-Profit Loan Guarantee Program, designed to help not-for-profits who often have difficulty securing capital development loans. The program helps unlock lending for eligible projects by allowing government agencies like Infrastructure Ontario to issue larger loans than would otherwise be permitted, ensuring Ontario’s seniors have access to a range of choices for their long-term care needs.
“The new Foyer Richelieu home is a milestone achievement for Welland and the Francophone community across Niagara,” said Frank Campion, Mayor of the City of Welland.
“This home will deliver quality care for generations to come.”
“This new home will provide a warm and compassionate environment for 128 residents, offering them a true sense of belonging while honouring their dignity, independence and connection to their community,” said Sean Keays, Chief Executive Officer of Foyer Richelieu Welland.
“Today is a very important day for Francophone seniors in Southern Ontario.”
The Ontario government has also provided $4.6 million to Hospice Niagara for a new ten-bed hospice residence co-located with Foyer Richelieu Welland. Walker House hospice began delivering palliative care services to patients in August 2025.
This project is part of the Ontario government’s continued progress toward its commitment to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province, as outlined in the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario.
The Ontario government is fixing long-term care to ensure seniors across the province receive the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve care is built on four pillars, including staffing and care, quality and enforcement, building modern, safe and comfortable homes and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.