Ontario Health Coalition seeking legal action against province

1st we begin tonight with the Ontario Health Coalition taking legal action against the province. It comes after a new 30 year license was granted to Southbridge Care Homes. They’re the owners of Orchard Villa, where over 70 residents died during the first wave of the pandemic. Lexi Benedict has the latest in tonight’s top story. And I think anyone who looks at the history of Orchard Villa under the care of Southbridge will agree they don’t deserve a license, they don’t deserve a new build, they don’t deserve to be in Pickering. There’s too much that’s happened there, too much hurt, too much pain, too much death. Died at the Orchard Villa Long Term Care home back in 2020. 206 of the 233 residents there contracted the virus at the home. Southbridge Care Homes is now looking to demolish the existing building and rebuild a new 15 story home with 320 beds on the same property And I think. That the government went ahead and gave it to them anyhow. Without ever ever having held that home to accountability, last month the Ontario Health Coalition announced they would be taking legal action against the province. They are also asking the Superior Court of Ontario for a judicial review and seeking a declaration from the court that the ministry acted unlawfully in the approval. MPP Jennifer French has been a long time advocate of the cause and we have been very clear that they should not be issuing this license extension. A 30 year cart loss reward for bad behavior. Mayor Kevin Ash says in reviewing reports, it’s clear that the care was not adequate, situation was dire and it I think it led to more death than. We’re we’re acceptable. No deaths acceptable. But COVID did have extraordinary circumstances. In a statement from a spokesperson for the Minister of Long Term Care, the ministry says the government believes in building the province’s Long Term care capacity, not reducing it. They add that the government has brought in the most robust safety requirements in North America in fixing the Long Term Care Act. However, not everyone is convinced. I just think that things were done so poorly. And that Southbridge, they’re the ones who own Orchard Villa have really shown us how not to run a long term care home. Global News reached out to Southbridge Care Homes, but they did not respond. The Ontario Health Coalition is currently reviewing the documents that have been provided by the government on the basis of why this decision was made until then. The matter is expected to be heard in court in early October, but advocates hope the decision can be reversed before then. Lexi Benedict Global News.