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Complex care facility has future in Sidney

Town to see private care facility open in former Bethel Baptist Church building.
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All Care Canada has purchased the former Bethel Centre (on Mills Road) and are looking to get the 85-bed facility operating in the near future.

Sidney may soon be the new home of a care facility that will offer beds to senior patients who require complex care.

All Care Canada, a company partly formed by local Peninsula resident Blake Mooney, has purchased the former Bethel Centre (Mills Road) and are looking to get the 85-bed facility operating in the near future.

“I’ve been in the long term care industry for over 15 years and one of my goals has always been to return to my hometown and provide something locally,” said Mooney, the facility administrator. “I’ve always dreamt of being an owner operator of a long term care facility.”

“And although this is larger than I thought I would start out with, it’s going to be so nice to be able to serve local people.”

The 85 care beds and associated senior’s care facilities, representing 43,000 square feet of the complex, was completed to its current state in 2009. However, according to Mooney, the facility has never been occupied because the previous owner never secured VIHA licensing approval.

“The building as a whole was built with a variety of different plans, with the church and care beds being the primary concern. But because of the economy and other factors in the project, what started out as a really positive project, didn’t end up that way,” Mooney explained of the project’s shortfalls in being able to seek VIHA licensing.

“Our job now is to start over, turn a fresh page and give people on the Peninsula and in Greater Victoria options for long-term care.”

Mooney said that All Care Canada has made modifications to the building’s plans and resubmitted a new application to the VIHA licensing branch for the 85 beds. Once approval is received in principle, building modifications to have those beds meet that criteria can begin.

According to Mooney, the modifications to the facility will include things like providing more bathing facilities, increasing common space for lounges and recreation areas and improving access and flow to the building for residents and visitors.

Included in the development is a church, meeting and education rooms and a large common area and lobby which represent about 17,000 square feet of the complex.

Mooney and his business partner, Casey Van Dongen are currently having preliminary discussions with two church related denominations about utilizing the space, but Mooney said they are also considering other options on what they could with the space.

“Another option being looked at is the possibility of creating more care beds in the space that is now occupied by the church,” Mooney said, noting they could have as many as 150 total beds if they used the church space.

“Adding beds improves the operational efficiency of residential care facilities as well as it would go a long way to meet local and regional complex care needs,” he said, adding preliminary discussions on more beds have occurred with the Town of Sidney, as well as architects and engineers.

“We’re planning on making a presentation to Sidney council in October on the expansion project,” Mooney said, adding that All Care Canada will have open houses on the first two weekends in October at the newly-named Sidney All Care Centre to allow neighbors and community members the opportunity to view the facilities and give the company feedback on possible redevelopment plans.

Mooney said Sidney All Care Centre is positioned to be able to take some of the load off the soon-to-be closure of Oak Bay lodge.

“This is a great time for us to be opening a facility like this because the need for beds is going to be there,” he said.

The Sidney All Care Centre is currently home to a preschool (which was established before All Care Canada purchased the property) and a seniors wellness program for women, which has been started since the property was purchased.