Info session updates Riverview residents and family members on home’s rebuild

The ministry has approved the design for the new 160-bed home, and residents and families were keen to talk about its features

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – About 20 residents and family members attended a June 25 information session at Riverview Manor to update them on the progress of the construction project to build a new 160-bed, three-storey home, which is slated to open in Peterborough’s north end by December 2022.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has approved the preliminary design for the new home, which will be built on a site at 145 Langton St.

Construction on the new Riverview Manor was initially scheduled to begin this fall, but the date has been pushed back to spring 2020. However, this change in plans will not affect the opening date, says Matt Galvin, a partner at G architects, the Toronto-based firm OMNI Health Care has tasked to design the new Riverview Manor.

After the project is complete, Riverview Manor will have 36 more beds than the current home houses. There will also be wider hallways, more home-like dining and lounge spaces, and privacy for residents will be improved by having only one- and two-bed rooms.

Once completed, the new Riverview Manor will be divided into four neighbourhoods, each with its own dining area, living room and activity room.

The new home will surround a spacious courtyard, complete with a walking loop paved with an “elder-friendly surface,” patio seating and a sandbox for visiting children to enjoy.

During the information session, residents and family members were keenly interested in the features the new Riverview Manor will offer. Galvin answered their questions about everything from accessibility and outdoor features to dining rooms and turning circles.

This is the second information session G architects and OMNI has hosted for residents and their families. The first session in December unveiled the design proposal.

Family member Dennis Coles expressed gratitude to G architects and OMNI for providing information sessions to keep residents and families abreast of the project’s progress.

“These sessions are really nice and make us feel a part of this (process),” he said.

Galvin said a big win for the Riverview Manor rebuild project has been that the local community has been supportive. An information session was held in January for people living in the neighbourhood, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s a good-news story,” Galvin said. “It’s an asset to the community and I think people understand that.”

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