The big move along Spence Avenue in Hawkesbury has not happened yet, but United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Council made a couple of decisions on Wednesday, May 27 that will influence the future operations of the Prescott and Russell Residence.
Following a discussion during the closed session of that day’s meeting, council approved the appointment of Alexandre Gorman as the new Administrator of the Residence, effective Monday, June 8. Gorman will succeed Eric Larocque, who is retiring.
Interestingly, Gorman was also Larocque’s predecessor in the position. Gorman served as the Administrator from September 2019 until July 2022.
The new Residence in Hawkesbury, which is to replace the current facility built in the 1970’s, is in its final stage, but inspections and approvals from both the Ministry of Long-Term Care and the Town of Hawkesbury are required. The issuing of an occupancy permit by the Town of Hawkesbury has been delayed due to issues with the fire alarm system at the new Residence. In March, the Ontario Building Code Commission upheld a previous decision by the Town of Hawkesbury Building Department to not issue the occupancy permit because the fire alarm system was not compliant with the Ontario Building Code.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care must also conduct a final inspection of the new premises to confirm compliance with applicable standards and guidelines.
As of April 30, 2026, the year-to-date construction costs for the new Residence were $92,102,672. The total construction budget is $92,759,906.
On May 27, council approved an additional $249,000 for the construction budget to finance expenditures required to address deficiencies identified by the UCPR team during their review of the facility. The deficiencies need to be addressed to bring the building to an operationally compliant condition.
