Backgrounder
Priority Access Beds for Veterans in Moncton, New Brunswick

October 21, 2000

Under an agreement with the Province of New Brunswick, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has had priority access to 40 beds at the Dr. Georges L. Dumont Hospital in Moncton since 1980.

In the fall of 1999, VAC consulted with area veterans and other stakeholders, before identifying preferred options for the location of a future Moncton veterans' unit. The findings of the consultations were shared with stakeholders at public meetings, in February 2000.

At a projected cost of $4.5 million, the improved facility for Moncton-area veterans will include the following features:

• a design that can accommodate the specialty equipment typical of a long-term care environment;
• a ground floor location that will offer direct access to the outside, with a green space available on the grounds for the veterans;
• room configurations that allow veterans more personal privacy; and
• a palliative care room for the use of residents and families, with a secure unit for those with cognitive impairments.

Veterans Affairs Canada has agreed to fund construction of the unit through the multi-year bed agreement with the Beauséjour Hospital Corporation. The funds are part of the $14 million for improvements to long-term care facilities within the Atlantic region, announced by then Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable George Baker, at the Dominion Convention of the Royal Canadian Legion, in Halifax, on June 12, 2000.