February 2, 2026
Manitoba Government Intervenes to Save Seniors' Homes and Preserve Jobs at Golden Door Geriatric Centre
The Manitoba government is intervening to protect seniors, save Manitoba jobs and preserve personal care home (PCH) capacity in Winnipeg after the Golden Door Geriatric Centre notified the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority of its intention to cease operations by March 31, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.
“Our government will always act to protect seniors,” said Asagwara. “Manitobans remember seniors being forced to leave their homes so those buildings could be sold to private, for-profit interests. We are doing the opposite. We are rebuilding long-term care and will not allow beds to disappear from our communities.”
Golden Door Geriatric Centre is a 78-bed, publicly funded PCH. Following its closure notice in March 2025, the owners stopped accepting new admissions, resulting in 25 vacant beds as of Jan. 30, 2026, despite significant demand for long-term care placements. With PCHs operating near full capacity, the loss of these beds would have displaced residents and eliminated Manitoba jobs, the minister noted.
After negotiations to acquire the facility did not result in an agreement, the Manitoba government initiated the expropriation process of Golden Door Geriatric Centre to secure the home and protect publicly funded long-term care capacity.
An interim management team appointed by the Manitoba government will now work to stabilize the facility, support staff and restore the home to full operating capacity by refilling the 25 vacant beds while ensuring continuity of care.
Community advocates welcomed the Manitoba government’s intervention, pointing to past decisions that reduced long-term care capacity and displaced seniors.
“My 96-year-old mother lived in Lion’s Place for 25 years. When the previous government sold the largest non-profit seniors’ housing building in the province to a multi-billion-dollar company based in Calgary, many families were concerned about protections for seniors,” said Tom Simms, a member of the Manitoba Seniors Equity Action Coalition. “Seniors deserve stable, affordable housing that puts their needs first. It is great to see the Manitoba government standing up for seniors at the Golden Door Geriatric Centre. Action speaks louder than words.”
The Manitoba government continues to rebuild and expand long-term care capacity across the province, including new PCHs in Arborg and Lac du Bonnet, as well as a major PCH expansion in Transcona. Once completed, these three projects will add 207 new PCH beds to Manitoba’s health-care system.
Of the 222 PCH beds closed under the previous government, 68 per cent have now been reopened, the minister noted, adding these efforts support patient flow, reduce access block in hospitals and ensure seniors have the care and space they need.
- 30 -