Evicted and Abandoned:103-Year-Old Among 200 Evicted by Chartwell

QUEEN'S PARK — MPP Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay—Superior North), Critic for Seniors, and MPP Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York) released the following statement after meeting with family members and residents of Heritage Glen Retirement Home in Mississauga to address the recent eviction notices issued by Chartwell Care:

"The Residential Tenancies Act needs to be amended to ban the renoviction of seniors from their homes,”said Vaugeois. “Seniors are on fixed incomes and need safe, affordable places to live, but when the bulk of seniors’ housing exists to make profits for investors, a real estate trust, like Chartwell, can sell their homes out from under them. The government’s failure to intervene in this mass displacement of seniors is unacceptable.”

N13 eviction notices were issued in March, giving over 200 residents just three months to find new homes. Some residents are over 100 years old and have lived at Heritage Glen for over 20 years.

"Chartwell has received $75 million in taxpayer subsidies since 2006 and is now evicting 200 seniors, including a 103-year-old," added Glover. "Their actions are a clear indictment of any government that hands over the care of our seniors to private, for-profit corporations. This Conservative government will be remembered for repeatedly failing our seniors."

HOPE 2200 raised concerns about a potential sale over a year ago, noting signs such as the halt in new admissions last summer. The union filed a bad faith bargaining complaint in December to no avail.

The Official Opposition NDP maintains that renovictions in retirement homes should end and that the Residential Tenancies Act be amended to address these evictions.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

"These actions are a slap in the face to seniors in Ontario. It's a pattern of behaviour from a government that's more interested in the corporate owners of these homes than the residents living in them, many of which should likely be in long-term care but are languishing on a waitlist. The Conservatives must stop handing over lucrative contracts to these private providers in long-term care."

— Official Opposition critic for Long Term care Wayne Gates, MPP for Niagara Falls

"My Mother-in-law moved into Chartwell Heritage Glen in the summer of 2021. It gave her a sense of community and comfort. When she received the eviction notice, she was shocked, sad, worried, and anxious. She spent the next ten days in her apartment worrying and hoping that it wasn't true. It's hard for her to understand today's cold, harsh reality... that you cannot trust the government or corporations, and unless you have millions in your bank account, you are not worthy of help or consideration."

— Stacey Saracini, Family member of a Heritage Glen resident

"I was shocked when two women knocked on my door and handed me an N13 eviction notice. I called my daughter, who confirmed that it was true. Given a short time to vacate, my nights have been sleepless, and I have no appetite. My world has been turned upside down. I was loving it here and thought this would be my last home. It makes me anxious thinking of starting over again in a new place."

— Joyce Dodge, 92-year-old Heritage Glen resident for 20 years

"My dad and mom have lived at Heritage Glen for 24 years. Never in a million years would we have imagined being evicted in such a heartless manner. My dad is in his final days as he has Stage 4 Liver Cancer. His health has declined rapidly since being served the N13. He has no will or energy to move from their home. Chartwell was supposed to make their lives BETTER."

— Sinead Hutchinson, daughter of Heritage Glen residents for 24 years