An impending requirement for all Ontario retirement homes to have automatic sprinklers has prompted one home in Cambridge to close its doors.
Residents of Saint Luke’s Place on Franklin Boulevard were told earlier this month that the retirement home portion of the facility would close for good Oct. 2.
CEO Staci Bartlett says installing a sprinkler system would be “cost-prohibitive” for the organization, given that its retirement rooms are spread out in four separate spaces.
The cost of an automatic system was pegged at anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000, she says.
Twenty-four people were living out their retirement at Saint Luke’s Place when the closure was announced. Six of them have since found other accommodations, and Bartlett said efforts are being made to relocate the others.
“We’ve been able to work closely with the families to try to help them,” she says.
Saint Luke’s Place is often used by seniors who can’t afford other, typically pricier retirement options. It also contains independent living apartments and long-term care beds.
