‘We feel like we’ve jumped ahead. I think we’ve stretched the community a little bit,’ says board chair of plan to add four beds as part of $4.5M expansion

Mariposa House Hospice is looking to the City of Orillia for $150,000 as it moves ahead with a $4.5-million expansion aimed at meeting a growing demand for end-of-life care.

Representatives from the hospice appeared before city council Monday to outline plans for an expansion that will add four beds to the facility, along with additional space for families, grief and bereavement programs and volunteer training.

The request comes as the hospice continues to turn away people because its existing six beds are full.

“We had 45 pre-service deaths,” he said. “A pre-service death is when someone raises their hand and says, ‘I’m ready for admission, I need a bed now,’ and we can’t say yes because we’re at capacity.”

Mariposa House opened five years ago with five beds and has since expanded to six. More than 650 families have used the hospice since it opened, with just over 60 per cent of them coming from Orillia.

The hospice primarily serves Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Severn and Ramara, although it will also accept people from elsewhere when circumstances warrant.

Markle said the need for hospice care is expected to continue growing as the region’s population increases and ages.

The number of people aged 75 and older in the hospice’s catchment area is projected to more than double over the next 20 years.

By 2030, Markle said studies suggest Mariposa House could be operating at more than 80 per cent capacity even with the additional beds.

“For a hospice, you never want to be at 100 per cent capacity because when someone needs that bed, you want it available,” he said.

The proposed two-storey addition will add more than 8,000-square-feet of finished space.

Beyond increasing the facility to 10 beds, the project will create space for grief and bereavement group sessions and volunteer training, while providing more room for families staying with loved ones.

“One of the things that we’ve learned in the past several years is that we never have enough family space at Mariposa House Hospice,” Markle said.

“In most cases, the family moves in… with pets and siblings, and that’s key.”

Markle described hospice as an extension of the home for families who have often spent weeks or months caring for a dying loved one.

There are no traditional visiting hours or limits, pets are welcome, and care is provided at no cost to residents or their families.

Dr. Si Lowry, one of the founders of Mariposa House, said the facility also helps relieve pressure on Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and the broader health-care system.

He said hospice care provides an alternative for patients who might otherwise be admitted to hospital or require additional home-care resources.

“It provides better care because… it’s in a home-like setting and we give fabulous palliative care in that setting,” he said.

Lowry said the daily cost of providing full-time nursing care in a hospice setting is less than half the cost of providing care in hospital.

Mariposa House board chair John Mayo thanked the city for helping make the original hospice possible.

The city contributed to the capital campaign that led to the facility’s construction five years ago.

“You were there for us when we needed you,” Mayo told council. “As a result, hospice is a reality.”

Mayo said the hospice has remained financially sustainable since opening, noting it recorded a combined surplus of approximately $20,000 over the past two years.

The organization has also made significant progress fundraising for the expansion, but Mayo acknowledged there are concerns about maintaining that pace after repeatedly approaching the community for capital donations.

“We feel like we’ve jumped ahead,” he said. “I think we’ve stretched the community a little bit.”

The project is currently in the planning and architectural phase, with the request for proposals expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Construction is planned for 2027, with landscaping expected to follow in 2028.

Mariposa House Hospice’s request for $150,000 from the City of Orillia will be considered as part of the city’s proposed 2027 budget. Council voted Monday to refer the funding request for consideration during the upcoming budget process.