In 2017, the Minister of Industry approved the sale under the Investment Canada Act, noting it would provide growth and opportunity for seniors. Two short years later, prior to the COVID pandemic, four of the Chinese government state-owned facilities in Canada had been put under health authority management.
Let me share some of the inspection reports: complaint, a resident went five weeks without a bath; complaint, understaffed by eight registered care aides; complaint, facility was under-staffed and a resident was left in bed with no food, no care.
Although the magnitude of the pandemic was unforeseen, it was inevitable that a virus would spread through these nursing homes. I would like to provide an opportunity for the Minister of Industry to apologize to the residents and families for putting the health and safety of their family members at risk.