Nursing home tailored to the needs of NS Black communities announced in Halifax

The Prime Minister of Nova Scotia has announced plans to build a publicly funded nursing home on the eastern outskirts of Halifax, targeting the needs of black communities.

Tim Houston said Wednesday that the 96-room facility on land near the historically black suburbs of Loon Lake, Cherry Brook, North Preston and East Preston will be “culturally responsive” to its residents.

“This is a good thing… The facility will be embedded in the strong culture of the surrounding communities,” Houston told a news conference.

The care home will be owned and operated by the non-profit organization Northwood Inc., and will be built on land leased from Akoma Holdings Inc., a non-profit organization established to provide economic and social opportunities to black citizens of the province. The land is part of the property of the former Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, an orphanage that closed in 1979.

The facility is open to Nova Scotians of all races, but Kathleen Mitchell, chief executive of Akoma Holdings, says a committee will be formed to ensure programs and services are tailored to the needs of the black population.

“This is black country,” she said, adding that the facility will benefit black communities both nearby and throughout Nova Scotia.

She added that current residents of the Preston area – the largest and oldest black community in the county – often have to travel to the city center to visit their elders.

“Transportation is a problem for visits for people to visit their families. Also, a lot of the private care homes are highly priced, and I think Northwood would look at what the household income is,” Mitchell said, referring to what the non-profit would be charge residents.

Houston said the government’s goal is to complete the care home within two years, despite a shortage of available contractors in the Halifax area.

“We are working on the timeline for it to be open in 2025. That is ambitious… We have a great agreement with the council with a common goal to make sure this happens,” he said.

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said the city is waiving some of the normal rezoning requirements to ensure the project stays on time.

“The traditional way we have done things has not worked for all populations. It has not worked for the African Nova Scotia people… We have said we need to accelerate it [construction approval] processes and doing things that we wouldn’t normally do,” he said.

“I hope that [the nursing home] will give further impetus to other projects here on the Akoma land.”

Upcoming midterm elections

Houston billed the announcement as part of a broader program by the Progressive Conservative government to build seven new long-term care facilities across the county.

“Too many seniors are waiting in hospitals for long-term care,” he said. A press release estimated that 290 people currently occupying hospital beds in Nova Scotia are awaiting placement for long-term care.

Houston’s announcement of the nursing home comes as political parties gear up for a midterm election in the area.

The prime minister has until October 1 to call a by-election in riding for Preston to replace Angela Simmonds, a Liberal member of the legislature who stepped down in April.