Plan for New Glasgow seniors' centre scuttled for 2nd time after outcry
CBC
People in New Glasgow have, once again, rejected the town's proposal for a new 144-bed long-term care centre.
The town has been trying to find a suitable site for a centre to replace Glen Haven Manor, which is municipally owned. But so far, it's had no luck persuading residents that a new seniors' home would be good for their community.
"In all honesty, I'm a little discouraged," said Mayor Nancy Dicks.
Her office notified the public on Monday that it was cancelling a June 17 public hearing for an application to rezone a parcel of land on Chestnut Street to accommodate the proposed facility.
The owners of the land, Stone's Prestige Homes of New Glasgow, rescinded their offer to sell it for the purposes of building a new centre.
"After numerous family discussions and the vast amount of residents' concerns and opposition, we have decided to back out of the land agreement," they said in a Facebook post that also referenced receiving "personal threats and attacks."
The company declined to comment to CBC News.
Dicks said she believes there was a campaign to prevent the sale.
"My understanding is there was some pressure put on the owners to not make this land available," the mayor said.
The decision to cancel the rezoning application meeting means the town is now back to the drawing board, again.
In January, it abandoned a plan to put the centre on Brother Street in a historically black community.
At the time, people in the area demanded an apology from the town for even considering it.
After two failed attempts to confirm a site, Dicks said the town has to come up with some way to convince residents that building a long-term care home in a residential setting, away from the local hospital, would be good for the people living in long-term care — and their neighbours.
"Our community is just not ready to hear that," she said.
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