Canadian Design and Construction Report
The Nova Scotia government has announced the locations for five new nursing homes, a major step in a multi-billion-dollar plan to modernize the province’s long-term care sector that will result in over 500 new and replacement beds.
Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams said Wednesday the new facilities will be built in Mahone Bay, New Waterford, Eskasoni First Nation, and two locations in the Halifax Regional Municipality. In total, the projects will create 276 new beds and replace 242 existing ones, with all residents housed in single rooms with private washrooms.
“We are building a system that will allow Nova Scotians to have the dignified and respectful aging they deserve,” Adams said in a news release. “These new homes will be state-of-the-art and provide our loved ones with the care they need in modern, comfortable and home-like environments.”
The largest of the new facilities will be 144-bed homes in New Waterford and Bedford. A 96-bed home will be built in Mahone Bay, and an 86-bed facility will be constructed at a central location in the Halifax area that is still being finalized.
A 48-bed home will be built in Eskasoni, which the province noted will be the first provincially funded nursing home in a First Nation community in Nova Scotia.
The announcement is a key part of the government’s plan to build and upgrade 8,000 long-term care rooms by 2032. The province is moving forward using a public-private partnership model for the construction.
The government has issued requests for qualifications (RFQs) to find private sector partners to design, build, finance, and maintain the new facilities. The province will retain ownership of the buildings, and care will be provided by provincially licensed operators.
This procurement model is intended to leverage private sector expertise in building healthcare facilities, with the goal of delivering the projects on time and on budget.
Construction on the five new homes is expected to begin in 2026.
The projects represent a significant investment in the province’s construction sector and are expected to create hundreds of jobs during the building phase. They also address the urgent need for more long-term care capacity as Nova Scotia’s population continues to age. As of early June, more than 2,000 people were on the waitlist for a long-term care placement.
The government said it will continue to announce more locations for new and replacement homes in the coming months as it works toward its 2032 goal.
