Health Minister Theresa Oswald today participated in a sod-turning for a $30-million expansion of the Sharon Home’s Simkin Centre in Winnipeg.

“The recent completion of the Simkin Centre marked the first step toward securing a new home for both current and next generation Jewish residents,” said Leonard Asper, chair of the Sharon Home Fund Raising Committee. “The second step will be to add additional beds at the Simkin Centre so that we can bring Sharon Home residents from the Kanee Centre to the new Simkin site.”

Consolidation of the Kanee Centre and Simkin Centre will improve efficiencies and reduce duplication which will result in better resident daily care. The new facility will increase the number of personal-care beds at Simkin Centre to 200. New kosher kitchen facilities will also be built.

Dr. Brian Postl, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Regional Health authority, said the move is in line with the region’s aim of significantly reducing the number of multi-bedded rooms in all personal-care homes.

Sharon Home was established as the first Jewish personal-care home in western Canada more than 90 years ago. It is a faith-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing shelter and a variety of client-focused quality-care and support services to the elders of the Jewish community. Presently, the Sharon Home’s fully-accredited personal care home is on two sites.

The Sharon Home Fund Raising Committee is contributing $5.5 million toward the $30-million cost. To date, the committee has raised approximately $3.7 million.

Construction is expected to be completed in early 2008.

WPS