Registered Nurses at Niagara Health's Welland Long-Term Care Site Call Out Provincial Government Over Closure

WELLAND, ON, Feb. 6, 2026 /CNW/ - Registered nurses (RNs), members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), are sounding the alarm about Niagara Health Services (NHS) closing their non-profit long-term care (LTC) home in Welland. The home that has been open for more than 50 years will not be renewing their license to operate this year due to concerns about the building's safety.

"For years, Niagara Health Services have raised funding and safety concerns to the provincial government. Instead, the Ford Conservatives have redirected public funds to renovate for-profit care homes like the Royal Rose Place and other LTC corporations," says Erin Ariss, RN and Provincial President of ONA. "The provincial government must prioritize public care over private profits to ensure better resident care."

For-profit LTC homes in Ontario have worse resident outcomes than non-profits and their staff earn lower wages than those in other sectors. These corporations are not up to the task of providing safe, timely, appropriate care to vulnerable residents. This avoidable closure and the uncertainty of the next five months will undoubtedly impact resident care. Residents will be moved to new homes, with no clear sense of how far away they will be from their families and support systems. ONA and the employer will work closely to ensure continuity of care because it is crucial for positive health outcomes.

"Residents, their families and care providers need consistency. Consistent resources, staffing and quality care," explains Ariss. "Residents and workers wouldn't have to bear the consequences of this closure had the provincial government focused on improving public, non-profit long-term care homes."

ONA is the union representing 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics, and industry.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

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