After over 30 years of hard work, Markham is now getting its first residential hospice, providing a space for patients with serious illnesses to receive end-of-life care close to home.
Evergreen Hospice hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7672 Elgin Mills Rd. E., celebrating an important milestone for its upcoming three-bed facility that will serve Markham, Stouffville and Thornhill.
A construction representative informed those present that demolition work is set to start next week. Full construction will kick off this fall, with the project expected to be completed by spring or summer 2027.
The province has pledged about $450,000 each year for staffing across the three beds as part of the initiative, while Evergreen aims to raise $2.5 million to help build and furnish the hospice.
This new residence will feature three private patient rooms, round-the-clock nursing care, visits from doctors and support services for families. Plans also include accommodations for loved ones who wish to stay overnight, eco-friendly features and serene outdoor areas since it’s close to Rouge National Urban Park.
Officials from Evergreen, Parks Canada and different levels of government came together to celebrate this project.
According to Evergreen, local patients requiring specialized end-of-life care currently have no choice but to stay at home, rely on limited hospital palliative-care options or travel to hospices in nearby towns.
The organization recognizes that just three beds won’t meet all local needs but considers this project a crucial first step toward improving residential hospice care in the area.
Even though the facility can only host three patients at once, it could accommodate many more throughout the year. A report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information in 2023 noted that 67 percent of surveyed residential hospice programs mentioned typical stays lasting one to four weeks.
For more than 35 years, Evergreen has been offering community-based support for individuals facing life-threatening illnesses alongside caregiver assistance, grief counseling and bereavement programs.
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