MR. GRAHAM STEELE: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Glades Lodge is a long-term care facility in my constituency, with a licence for 123 beds. It was built in 1962. A study commissioned last year by the Department of Health itself showed that all the mechanical systems in the building are past their useful lives. The list of renovations listed as "must do" is lengthy and expensive. The list of renovations listed as "should do" runs into the millions of dollars and is very long. Yet the Department of Health has shown only a deafening silence in response to repeated requests from the owners for some information, some news about what the Department of Health has in mind for the future of the Glades Lodge.

My question for the minister is, when will the Minister of Health deal with the concerns of residents, their families, the staff and the owners and give some indication of what the Department of Health plan is for the future of the Glades Lodge?

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite, I thank him for the question because it is important. It is an issue that we see right across this province, of aging long-term care facilities. That is why we wanted to have a comprehensive, continuing care strategy and why within the continuing care strategy we talk about home care entitlements and making sure that we keep people in their homes as long as possible, but also looking at the creation of new beds within the system, of course talking about the 826 beds in the first four years and also talking about replacement.

Glade Lodge, of course, as the member opposite so eloquently talked about, does have mechanical problems, does have a building problem as it has been around for such a long time. I would hope that in the near future we will be talking about a replacement for that facility.

MR. STEELE: The time to do something, Mr. Minister, is now.

MR. SPEAKER: Order please. The time allotted for the Oral Question Period has expired.