Stephen Dasko

Ontario Government invests $2.2 million in Community Access to Long-Term Care pilot

BRAMPTON, ON (September 5, 2025) – Today Peel Region celebrated the grand opening of the Seniors Health and Wellness Village (SHWV) at Peel Manor — a first-of-its-kind model for integrated seniors care. At the event, the Ministry of Long-Term Care also announced one-year funding of $2.18 million for Peel Region’s Thrive Program, which will help provide exceptional integrated care for seniors in the community, while reducing hospital visits and emergency department use.

Thrive is now part of the Community Access to Long-Term Care (CALTC) pilot program, created by the ministry to support seniors who are waiting for long-term care, are eligible now, or may soon need it. By offering many of the same integrated services available in long-term care homes, Thrive will help seniors live safely and comfortably at home for as long as possible.

The Seniors Health and Wellness Village at Peel Manor (SHWV) is a great example of the community hubs being developed through the CALTC program. These hubs will use the physical infrastructure of long-term care homes to bring together health care, social supports, and expert guidance all in one place to provide seniors the care they need, reduce trips to the hospital, and give families peace of mind.

Leadership in emotion-based care

Located on the site of the original Peel Manor, the SHWV combines a 177-bed long-term care centre called Peel Manor, which includes a Transitional Behavioural Support Unit, with a comprehensive service hub offering Adult Day Services (ADS), the Thrive program, an Integrated Care Centre, a social enterprise operated café and shop, resource centre, hair salon, meeting spaces, and outdoor green spaces.

In May 2025, the Ontario government re-introduced proposed changes to the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 through Bill 14, Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2025. The proposed changes require all LTC homes to have a dementia program to meet the care needs of residents with dementia. Additionally, the Province is investing $9 million over three years to launch a new program to train staff in emotion-based models of care for residents living with dementia.

The SHWV strengthens Peel Region’s recognized leadership in emotion-based care. Peel Region was the first in Ontario to implement this approach in long-term care and is now the first community-based program to implement this approach in Canada with the recent Butterfly certification of its ADS Centres. Emotion-based care has an incredible ability to make unique connections with people living with dementia, often providing a new spark to an individual’s health, mood, and self-expression.

About the Seniors Health and Wellness Village at Peel Manor

Recipient of Advantage Ontario’s 2024 Innovation and Excellence Capital Project Award, the SHWV is built on the site of the original Peel Manor, which evolved from the County of Peel House of Industry and Refuge that originally housed 12 people and was built in 1898.

The Peel Manor Long Term Care Centre occupies floors two through four of the SHWV. The second floor is home to two specialized home areas, a Butterfly home area called Goreway and a 29-bed Transitional Behavioural Support Unit called Broddyway, the first in the Central West geography for individuals experiencing heightened responsive expressions associated with dementia.

Adult Day Services (ADS) and the Community Access to Long Term Care / Thrive Program are offered on the main floor of the SHWV. When at full capacity, the SHWV will more than double the number of clients served at the original Peel Manor. These programs help reduce social isolation and support the maintenance of mobility, strength, and cognition in seniors, while providing caregivers with much needed respite.

With advanced technology such as Real-Time Location Services, robust Wi-Fi, and dedicated TV systems for residents, the SHWV ensures care is not only compassionate but also modern and secure, helping residents stay connected and staff deliver highly personalized support.

Quotations

“Our government is protecting our long-term care system with targeted investments that ensure people get the right care in the right place. By giving seniors access to more services while living safely at home, the Community Access to Long-Term Care program will improve seniors’ quality of life, support caregivers, reduce avoidable hospital visits and delay the need for live-in long-term care.”
-Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care 

“By 2041, one in five Peel residents will be over the age of 65, which will mean that more people in our community will be living with dementia. The Seniors Health and Wellness Village at Peel Manor will support the diverse needs of this population with emotion-based care in long term care, as well as seniors and caregivers living in their own homes. By working in partnership with the Ministry of Long-Term Care, as we are with this pilot program, we can improve the quality of life for seniors in Peel, while helping the health care system operate more effectively.”  
-Nando Iannicca, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Peel Region

“The Seniors Health and Wellness Village at Peel Manor offers health, social, and community supports within a building that is also home to seniors living in the Peel Manor long-term care home. With this unique approach, seniors are able to access services and supports in one building, regardless of where they are on their unique care journey. We look forward to further partnerships with the provincial government and other health system partners as we explore innovative approaches that improve quality of life in Peel, while pioneering ideas that can lead system transformation across Ontario.”
-Nancy Polsinelli, Commissioner of Health Services, Peel Region

IDEA Mississauga is the proud recipient of the Federal Government’s Regional Innovation Ecosystem Fund, a program designed to support business growth, while fostering innovative regional economies.

September 4, 2025

IDEA Mississauga is excited to announce that it is a successful recipient of the Federal Government’s Regional Innovation Ecosystem Fund in partnership with Black Creek Community Health Centre, the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) and York University. Through this fund, a total of $2.4 million in grants will be distributed, with IDEA Mississauga receiving $60,000 to support the Step-Up Program, which is a six-month program designed to help innovative and inclusive businesses overcome barriers to their growth, reach new levels of success, and drive meaningful social and environmental change.

IDEA Mississauga will be an active partner to Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) and the Black Creek Community Health Centre, providing support that is community-focused. This includes:

• Advisory services: Support BEA in addressing unique challenges facing Black entrepreneurs
• Community events: Support events and provide a platform for Black founders to build their network
• Business mentorship: Provide hands-on support to help entrepreneurs achieve their goals
• Grassroots development: Strengthen the talent pipeline for Black entrepreneurs

IDEA Mississauga has a proven track record in supporting Black-led and diverse businesses, particularly through programs like the Step-Up Program, which has been instrumental in helping diverse businesses in Mississauga overcome barriers to growth.

Funding from the Regional Innovation Ecosystem Fund will further enhance the Step-Up program, which provides entrepreneurs with access to expert training, personalized mentorship, and comprehensive resources to help underrepresented businesses expand. This investment will ensure that diverse businesses have the tools they need to scale and succeed while fostering an inclusive, thriving economy in Mississauga.

With its demonstrated success in empowering entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, IDEA Mississauga is uniquely positioned with the tools and resources to support the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance’s work. This partnership underscores the City of Mississauga and IDEA Mississauga’s commitment to deliver meaningful impact, while prioritizing diversity and inclusion within the business community.

Elevating Black communities across Southern Ontario

Funding from the Regional Innovation Ecosystem Fund will also strengthen the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance’s (BEA) work, in collaboration with IDEA Mississauga, to support over 200 startups. Previously, through the Federal Government’s Black Entrepreneurship Fund, BEA assisted 136 ventures, 75 per cent of which were women-led. Through this support, these ventures have generated more than $46 million in revenue, raised $7.3M in funding, and created 989 jobs. These ventures have also invested a total of $525,000 in upskilling and professional development, highlighting the BEA’s success in fostering the growth of Black-owned businesses.

This new round of funding from the Regional Innovation Ecosystem Fund will build on the progress already achieved by BEA to ensure a greater reach into Black communities across Southern Ontario. The potential impact is expected to include: an increased number of Black-led ventures in tech, more traditional and consumer packaged goods, and the creation of new intellectual property and commercialization. It will also help strengthen the talent-pool and build emerging leaders, while further promoting diversity and inclusion.

About IDEA Mississauga

IDEA, powered by Invest Mississauga, brings together industry, government, education and organizational leaders to help start-ups and scale-ups accelerate ideas and commercialize solutions. IDEA offers entrepreneurs a comprehensive suite of resources to support their needs and growth, including tailored programs and services, along with a rich network of mentorship, partners and talent. From start-up to scale-up, the IDEA team is dedicated to driving innovation and turning entrepreneurs’ ideas into reality.

About the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance

The Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) was created to fill a gap in Toronto’s business ecosystem by supporting Black, underrepresented entrepreneurs. As a black-led, non-profit organization, BEA helps amplify and advance the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. Through tailored programming, bootcamps and events, BEA helps Black professionals build and grow successful ventures. Originally launched as the first Black-focused entrepreneurship program in the Jane and Finch community, BEA has since expanded its reach to the Greater Toronto Area.