Clarington February 6, 2018/- Council will donate a two-acre or 0.8 hectare portion of land on Cobbledick Road to Durham Hospice to build a five-bed residential hospice in Clarington.
“Durham Hospice provides critical end-of-life care and helps families while they cope with terminal illness of a loved one. Clarington Council supports this initiative and has donated land for a future Clarington hospice,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster.
Last year, the Ontario government provided funding for 20 new hospice beds in Durham, five of those will be in Clarington. Durham Hospice identified the land at 1785 Cobbledick Road in Newcastle as ideal for the hospice because of its parkland setting. The land will be transferred for a nominal fee. Council has placed conditions on the donation including the provision that the land must be developed by December 31, 2020, or it will be returned to the Municipality.
“The five-bed hospice in Clarington, along with additional beds being built by our partners in Port Perry and Whitby, will be an important part of our health care delivery system, offering the best professional care with warmth, compassion and dignity in a peaceful and beautiful home-like setting. We look forward to bringing our vision to the community as our plans progress,” said Melodie Zarzeczny, Chair of Durham Hospice Clarington
“There’s a huge need for hospice beds in Clarington, this will help families in the area,” said Mayor Foster.
Clarington will work with Durham Hospice on necessary amendments to the Official Plan to allow for the development of a hospice on land designated for a community park. While the proposed hospice will be built with five beds, there will be an opportunity for expansion in the future if needed.
Durham Hospice will be accepting donations for various initiatives.
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