About Us

The Hélène Tremblay Lavoie Foundation was created to help address a critical lack of long-term care for Francophones in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We are leading the way on behalf of Francophones, especially those in the later stages of their lives, to have the opportunity to live in French and enjoy a quality of life that they deserve, and that is equal to what all Ontarian’s have the right to expect.

The Francophone community in the Greater Toronto Area numbers more than 133,000 residents according to Statistics Canada 2006 Census. However this population presently has access to only one Francophone establishment (Pavillon Omer Deslauriers) providing long-term care services in French. Out of 302 beds, Bendale Acres home has made 37 of these beds potentially available to Francophone patients in the Pavillon Omer Deslauriers section, subject to availability.

June 3, 2013 marks a milestone in providing francophone seniors with linguistically and culturally appropriate long-term care services. Since that date, the Central East Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), the organization mandated to determine eligibility, authorize admissions and manage wait lists for long-term care homes in the Central East LHIN region, gives priority to francophone seniors who are eligible for long-term care and who apply to Bendale Acres. Staff at the Pavillon Omer Deslauriers unit can speak both official languages and are able to provide care for residents in their language of choice. This achievement can be attributed to the determination and collaboration of a number of organizations: Hélène Tremblay Lavoie Foundation, Bendale Acres Long-Term Care Home, Entité 4, Central East CCAC and Central East LHIN.

Currently the 12.5 million Ontarians have access to a total of 76,000 long-term beds financed by the provincial government, which represents 608 beds per 100,000 of population. Clearly, the aging Francophone population in the GTA has an urgent need for more long-term care beds. These services have to be equitable and accessible, and have to meet the specific needs of the Francophones. There is also the need for long-term community services such as specialized Day Programs for those suffering from cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.