The Ontario government says its investing $4 million to expand Hospice Niagara by adding two new Hospice Palliative Care Centres of Excellence in Welland and Fort Erie.
The funding will pay for the planning and construction of the two centres, that will add 20 new hospice beds for the region.
Hospice Niagara currently operates 10 hospice beds out of its St. Catharines site.
Once open, the province will provide an additional $2.1 million annually in operational funding to support end-of-life care services for more than 500 people per year at the two new centres.
The funding is in addition to the nearly $1 million provided annually to support end-of-life care at Hospice Niagara's existing site in St. Catharines.
Several large donations have also helped the centres become a reality including Willson International Ltd., a Fort Erie-based business, giving $1.5 million, and Mountainview Building Group in Thorold, has given $1 million.
Walker Industries has also committed $1.5 million.
The two new palliative care centres of excellence will be located alongside long-term-care homes, Gilmore Lodge in Fort Erie and, Foyer Richelieu in Welland.
"In our lifetime, we all experience death, dying, grief and loss," said Carol Nagy, Executive Director of Hospice Niagara. "Increasing capacity in hospice palliative care ensures that every person receives the high-quality of care they expect and deserve, for generations to come."
"Having introduced and seen the passage of the Compassionate Care Act, I have long been a passionate advocate of hospice care in Niagara and across the province," said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West. "This new support reaffirms our government's commitment to high-quality palliative care in our region and the extraordinary work of the leadership and frontline team at Hospice Niagara."