Extendicare Countryside was forced to cease admissions on Aug. 6 after inspection reports indicated residents face ongoing risks to their health, safety and well-being

Lamenting “horrific stories of poor or nonexistent care at Extendicare Countryside,” Greater Sudbury’s NDP MPPs have issued the province a public call to action.

In an open letter to Long-Term Care Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, MPPs France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) and Jamie West (Sudbury) wrote “many of the families have lost complete faith that Extendicare Countryside will be a successful, caring home.”

On Aug. 6, the Ministry of Long-Term Care issued an immediate halt to all new admissions to the 256-resident facility due to persistent concerns that residents face ongoing risks to their health, safety and well-being.

This is the second cease admissions order at the long-term care home following its May 2024 opening.

The December 2024 cease-admissions order was issued in response to 41 combined infractions during autumn inspections, and was lifted in June 2025 after the operator submitted an action plan to bolster clinical leadership and staffing.

Over the last two years, Extendicare Countryside has been subjected to 18 government inspections resulting in 120 findings of non-compliance.

The union has been raising alarms along the way, with SEIU Healthcare representative Rhonda Savarie asserting this week, “The people providing care every day know exactly what is happening inside this home. They have repeatedly raised concerns about staffing levels, workloads and operational decisions that make it harder to provide the care residents deserve. It’s time for these concerns to be taken seriously.”

In April, Extendicare Countryside staff protested the issuance of 21 layoff notices.

The local MPPs’ open letter urges the province to take immediate action while criticizing the use of for-profit companies, which they said tend to result in lower staffing levels.

“We urge you to ensure that Extendicare Countryside’s issues are resolved swiftly and that care will be provided by permanent full-time and well-trained care providers, as well as food and janitorial services workers,” they wrote.

“Long-term care throughout Ontario must be transparent, trustworthy, and focused on the well-being of residents’ and their families. Let Ontario invest in care, not the shareholders’ bottom line.”

Extendicare maintains that it has an active action plan and is working closely with the Ministry to rectify remaining compliance items. The operator pointed to ongoing organizational changes aimed at stabilizing leadership at Countryside, including:


The appointment of Executive Director Cindy Murray in May 2026.
The integration of an interim director of care alongside four assistant directors of care.
The finalizing of hires for a permanent director of care and an incoming environmental services manager.

The MPPs’ full letter is as follows:

Dear Hon. Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta

As MPPs for Sudbury and Nickel Belt, we are once again reaching out to you with heavy hearts as our constituents continue to share horrific stories of poor or nonexistent care at Extendicare Countryside LTC home. While we appreciate the Ministry’s recent issuance of a Cease of Admissions Order placed on Extendicare Countryside effective August 6, 2026, we’d also like to emphasize that this is the second such order issued to this facility in less than two years.

While cease admissions orders temporarily stop for-profit LTC homes from potentially harming incoming residents, it does not undo the harm that current residents and families have had to endure. The Government of Ontario should not be allowing this to continue.

Many of the families have lost complete faith that Extendicare Countryside will be a successful, caring home. They tell us that turnover in leadership is high, there aren’t enough staff, and the residents feel left behind. They do not feel like things improved after the last cease of admissions order, therefore do not trust that this one will change anything either.

Long-term care homes play an essential role in caring for some of our most vulnerable community members. Residents and their families deserve the best care, yet Extendicare Countryside can’t seem to offer even the basics. This for-profit LTC home continues to compromise Ontario’s standards of quality and reliable care.

Studies continually show that long-term care homes run by for-profit companies tend to have lower staffing levels and, as a result, provide less hands-on care than non-profit homes. This means that staff are consistently overworked and often unable to give residents the time and care they need. We have met with PSWs, DSWs, RNs and other care providers at Countryside and these unrealistic expectations weigh heavily on them, daily.

We urge you to ensure that Extendicare Countryside’s issues are resolved swiftly and that care will be provided by permanent full-time and well-trained care providers, as well as food and janitorial services workers. Long-term care throughout Ontario must be transparent, trustworthy, and focused on the well-being of residents and their families. Let Ontario invest in care, not the shareholders’ bottom line.

We would appreciate being kept up to date on the plans to improve residents’ care at Countryside LTC home.

Regards,

Jamie West

France Gélinas