North Glengarry officials and mayoral candidates are speaking out against a proposal that would close The Palace long-term care home in Alexandria and move its 70 beds to a new 320-bed facility in Cornwall. The Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care is reviewing the proposal, known as Southbridge Cornwall 2.
The proposed facility would be located across from the existing Southbridge Cornwall home at 800 Nick Kaneb Drive.
The project would consolidate 248 existing beds from The Palace, Pinecrest in Plantagenet, and Heartwood in Cornwall, while adding 72 beds approved by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. The three existing homes would close once the new Cornwall facility is completed.
The Palace, located at 92 Centre Street in Alexandria, has 70 licensed beds. As of June 30, 2026, the Ministry listed 15 people on the home’s wait list.
The province’s consultation on the proposal closes on Friday, October 16, 2026.
North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald is calling on the provincial government to pause the proposed closure and work with the community on a solution that would preserve long-term care beds in Alexandria.
In a Facebook video post, MacDonald said The Palace is home to its residents and raised concerns about the impact of longer travel distances on family members who regularly visit them. He also questioned what would happen to employees at The Palace, including nurses, personal support workers, kitchen staff, and cleaners, if the facility closes.
“What happens to their jobs? Will they have to commute to Cornwall? Will their hours and positions be protected?” MacDonald said.
Deputy Mayor Carma Williams also called for The Palace to remain in Alexandria.
“The potential closure is simply unacceptable,” Williams said. “Rural Ontario takes the brunt of the lack of health and social services close to home. We can little afford to lose more services that are needed locally.”
Williams described The Palace as a long-standing, valued long-term care home in North Glengarry and said residents should not have to travel farther to receive care or visit loved ones. She called for the facility to be rebuilt or renovated in Alexandria, which she described as “the only reasonable option.”
The issue has also become part of the municipal election campaign, with mayoral candidates Victor Brassard and Cody Pierce both opposing the proposed closure.
Brassard said the community needs answers about whether rebuilding The Palace in North Glengarry was considered, what alternatives were explored, how French-language care would be protected, and what would happen to current staff.
“The people in those 70 beds at The Palace are our neighbours. Someone’s mother. Someone’s father. Someone’s grandparent,” Brassard told The Review.
Pierce said relocating residents to a larger facility could create challenges for residents and families, particularly those who rely on regular visits from people who live nearby.
“Many of the folks at The Palace have lived and worked in North Glengarry their whole life – they deserve a safe and steady retirement with warm-hearted small-town care right here at home,” Pierce told The Review.
Pierce said he favours smaller long-term care facilities within individual communities rather than consolidating beds into larger ones.
The Township of North Glengarry has encouraged residents to participate in the consultation, citing concerns about local access to long-term care and the additional distance families may have to travel to visit loved ones. Council is also scheduled to consider a formal resolution regarding the proposal at its meeting on Tuesday, October 13.
Residents wishing to comment on the proposal can submit feedback by Friday, October 16, by emailing [email protected]. Submissions should reference Southbridge Cornwall 2 and Project #26-017.
