Expansion News

UHN’s Growing Lakeside project team is enthusiastically moving forward with plans to introduce 192 new long term care beds to Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre. As with all large-scale builds, adjustments to the building’s design are anticipated and accommodated for in our timelines.

As we continue advance our plans, a number of exciting milestones have taken place.

For example, in early June, we submitted a building re-design to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, along with a zoning by-law amendment and site plan applications to the City of Toronto Planning Department.

Key site updates include a C-shaped configuration that overlooks a secure, central courtyard. The courtyard, itself, will offer sweeping views of the surrounding property, boast natural landscaping, provide gardening opportunities for residents, and allow sunlight to filter into the building. Larger terraces also enhance the design, offering residents with more functional space to enjoy recreation and activities.

We’re hopeful that once the City Planner’s recommendation report is presented to Toronto East-York Community Council in the Fall, it will be approved by City Council in October 2020. Construction would begin in Spring 2021, and admissions to the new wing by late Summer 2023.

We are looking forward to continuing to work with all our partners, throughout the planning, approval, and construction process. You can review our expansion submissions to the City of Toronto.

UHN's commitment to caring for Toronto's seniors is unwavering.

By building a second wing onto Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre, we are introducing an additional 192 much-needed long-term care (LTC) beds, and helping to ensure the safety and wellbeing of this rapidly growing and vulnerable population.

While expanding LTC is important, it also needs to be affordable. For that reason, as we move forward with our plans, we have adjusted some of our early designs, to ensure we remain on-budget.

Our plans meet all Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care home building standards, and will allow us to continue applying best practices in resident care.

Learn more about some key design elements and milestones, as we get closer to building increased capacity for excellent care.

Key Design Features

Enhanced capacity. Lakeside's new wing will consist of a 6 storey, 192-bedded long term care centre. By creating a physical separation between the existing and new wing, residents are able to experience the comfort that comes from a smaller, warm, community-life environment. Maintaining separate buildings will also reduce the construction impact on current Lakeside residents.

Private and basic resident rooms. A mix of private and basic rooms will support us in accommodating residents and offering the safe, comfortable, home-like environment they desire. We recognize the importance of individual choice and means, as well as the possibility of family reunification, when possible. The mix of rooms will be as follows:

• 60% private room w/private bath
• 40% basic, 2-bed room w/shared bath

Secure, open courtyard. An open courtyard, looking out onto our larger UHN wellness campus, will embrace sunlight and use natural soil to enhance space, allow for tree planting, and provide gardening opportunities for residents.

Enhanced, outdoor terraces. Located on each resident floor, and in clear view of the care station, terraces will overlook the open courtyard and be used to engage residents in both leisure and recreational programming that keeps residents active and engaged.

Large entrance and multi-purpose lobby. A spacious entrance will extend into a welcoming lobby shared with Lakeside's existing wing. This space will be filled with natural sunlight and offer views of the open courtyard. Residents, visitors and staff will enjoy a coffee nook, tuck shop, comfortable seating, and gathering opportunities that support a community-focused lifestyle.

Family overnight suite. A comfortable guest suite will support the needs of families wishing to stay closer to their loved one at the end-of-life stage.

Key Milestones

• Formal re-submission of re-zoning and site plan (to City Planning Department): May/June 2020
• City planner’s recommendation report and zoning by-law amendment approval by Community Council: late Summer 2020/early Fall 2020
• Construction begins: July 2021
• First resident admission: September 2023

Updated Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre Design

Lakeside Residents & Families Council meeting – On June 10, 2019, members of our planning committee had an opportunity to sit down with Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre Resident & Family Councils and update them on our expansion plans. We used the opportunity to present the new entrance to Lakeside LTC, main floor lobby and seating areas, gathering area, resident home unit features, and other aspects of the design that residents and families have important insight too. UHN will be returning to the Resident and Family Councils as the design develop further and as we progress with approvals from the City of Toronto and Ministry of Long-Term Care.

Sunflower House Day Care visit – On June 18, 2019, the Sunflower House Day Care Board of Directors invited our team to walk them through the Lakeside expansion plans. Much like the larger Parkdale community, the Board recognizes the importance of expanding long-term care services in Toronto, and is supportive in making it a reality at Lakeside. During the meeting, we explored the growing need for long-term care, what the new wing of Lakeside will look like, and timelines. The members of the Board had important questions around the construction site safety features, logistics around temporary pick-up/drop-off parking, and how the children’s play space may be reconfigured. We look forward to seeing the new playground design soon.

Site Plan Application submission – On July 22, 2019, UHN re-submitted its zoning by-law amendment application and site plan application in support of the Growing Lakeside project. The submission to the City of Toronto refines details of the design of the new long-term care wing. The City of Toronto website for the Lakeside Long-Term Care Expansion can be found here.

UHN is very excited about the progress that has been made with the applications to the City of Toronto. The applications represent months of hard work by the Lakeside Long-Term Care Expansion planning teams and our best efforts to incorporate feedback we have heard from the City, members of the public, UHN staff and physicians, and most importantly, residents and families of Lakeside Long Term-Care Centre.

Thank you for taking an interest in the development of new long-term care beds at Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre.

UHN has submitted the zoning by-law amendment application for the Growing Lakeside project to the City of Toronto. UHN is extremely excited to be working with the City of Toronto staff, residents and Councillor Gord Perks to bring the project to fruition.

The zoning by-law amendment applicatio​n can be accessed at the City of Toronto Application Information Centre website.

A development sign will be going up on the Lakeside-Bickle property for the Growing Lakeside project. The development sign will include project statistics, such as the size of the building, as well as a rendering of the new wing of Lakeside as proposed. The development sign will also include the name and contact information of the planner assigned by the City of Toronto.

​Over the next months UHN will be updating this webpage and sending emails in regards to the Growing Lakeside project. Everyone at UHN is very excited to be working with the community and to be developing new long-term care beds in Parkdale. Please do not hesitate to contact GrowingLakeside@uhn.ca​ with your comments and inquiries.

• ​​​First Community Meeting (December 12, 2018).​

No, our plans to build a new wing at Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre have not yet been confirmed. There are a few steps we must take before we can move forward with our plans.

Right now, we working on getting the necessary approvals from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the City of Toronto.

If approved, construction will begin in July 2021 and be completed in September 2023.

We are still in the planning stages, so the design may change.

Our current plan is to build a U-shaped wing that will connect to the existing building through a shared lobby.

We are still in the early planning stages, so we do not have specific details. We know there will be some challenges for residents, visitors, staff, and neighbours during construction. We will work with contractors to avoid disrupting the day-to-day experiences of residents, visitors, staff, and neighbours as much as possible. We will share details with you as we get more information.

It is likely that parking will be impacted during construction. We know that parking is an ongoing concern for Lakeside and Bickle staff and visitors. We will work to find solutions that will help minimize inconvenience for staff and visitors during construction.

When construction is complete, there will be more parking spaces available.