City of Niagara Falls and Hotel Dieu Shaver Announce Partnership for Proposed Residential Hospice
Millie's Place planned for Montrose Road in Niagara Falls, bringing the vision of compassionate end-of-life care closer to home.
NIAGARA FALLS, ON — The City of Niagara Falls and Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre have announced a partnership and proposed location for a new residential hospice in Niagara Falls, marking a significant step toward expanding access to compassionate end-of-life care in the community.
At a ceremony on October 19, the City unveiled a sign identifying the proposed site of Millie's Place, a residential hospice to be located on Montrose Road, immediately north of the new South Niagara Hospital.
The land for the proposed hospice has been generously donated by Empire Homes, helping advance a longstanding community vision of establishing dedicated residential hospice services in Niagara Falls.
As Niagara Region's second-largest municipality, Niagara Falls has long faced a gap in local residential hospice services, with residents and families often travelling elsewhere in the region or beyond to access this specialized care.
The City of Niagara Falls and Hotel Dieu Shaver have jointly submitted a proposal to the Ontario Ministry of Health for consideration. The proposed hospice would provide specialized end-of-life care in a welcoming, home-like setting, allowing individuals to receive compassionate support while remaining close to family, friends and their community.
Under the proposed partnership, the City of Niagara Falls would own the hospice facility, while Hotel Dieu Shaver would be responsible for operating the hospice and delivering its clinical and operational services.
The project remains subject to provincial approval and the securing of operational funding.
A Community Vision Moves Forward
The announcement follows several years of work to identify an appropriate location for a residential hospice in Niagara Falls.
In 2023, Niagara Falls City Council appointed Mayor Jim Diodati and Councillor Victor Pietrangelo to work with City staff on a Hospice Ad-Hoc Committee tasked with helping advance the site-selection process.
That work, together with the generosity of community partners, has helped bring the proposed hospice closer to realization.
“This is a huge step forward for Niagara Falls! Every family deserves compassion, comfort and dignity when saying goodbye to someone they love — and now, they'll be able to find that care right here at home,” said Mayor Jim Diodati. “Millie's Place will be more than a hospice. It will be a place of peace, love and support for families when they need it most. This is something our community has needed for a long time, and I couldn't be prouder to see it becoming a reality.”
“We are proud to partner with Hotel Dieu Shaver, the provincial leader in patient experience in Ontario, to create a dedicated space where individuals and families can receive comfort, dignity and support during an incredibly important time in their lives.”
Community support has been instrumental in advancing that vision, including a donation of land from Empire Homes. Co-Chief Executive Officer Daniel Guizzetti attended the October 19 announcement and spoke to the company's commitment to the Niagara Falls community.
“As a company that has spent its life building homes and neighbourhoods, we have always believed that a community is measured not only by the houses that are built, but also by the care it provides to the people within the community and in every season of life, including its hardest,” said Guizzetti. “It is our hope that this land that we have donated will become a place of comfort, dignity, and peace, where people can be surrounded by those they love, and where skilled caregivers can ease the final chapter of life. May it serve this community for many generations to come.”
Also in attendance was Stewart Branscombe of the River Realty Foundation, whose philanthropic support has contributed to the project. The proposed hospice will be named Millie's Place in honour of his late mother, Mildred (“Millie”) Branscombe.
Remembered for her gentle spirit, generosity and longstanding commitment to the Niagara Falls community, Millie helped establish a family legacy of philanthropy that continues to support local organizations and important community causes. Naming the hospice in her honour brings a deeply personal connection to a project dedicated to providing compassion, comfort and dignity to individuals and families.
Building on a Pioneering Legacy of Palliative Care
For Hotel Dieu Shaver, the proposed hospice represents a continuation of a longstanding commitment to palliative and end-of-life care in Niagara.
In 1996, Hotel Dieu Health Sciences Hospital opened one of Niagara's first dedicated 11-bed palliative care units, helping advance an approach to end-of-life care centred on comfort, dignity and support for patients and their loved ones.
In 2005, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre was established when Hotel Dieu Health Sciences Hospital assumed governance and management of the Shaver Hospital and Niagara Rehab Centre, carrying forward a shared legacy of compassionate, specialized care.
Today, that commitment remains central to the proposed Niagara Falls hospice, which would provide a dedicated residential environment where individuals approaching the end of life could receive specialized care while spending meaningful time with family and friends.
Hotel Dieu Shaver also brings a strong record of compassionate, person-centred care to the proposed partnership. With annual patient satisfaction rates consistently ranging between 97% and 99% over several consecutive years, the hospital has established a reputation for providing care that patients and families value.
Dr. David Ceglie, Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Dieu Shaver, said the proposed hospice is an opportunity to honour that history while responding to the evolving needs of Niagara residents.
“Nearly 30 years ago, Hotel Dieu helped pioneer specialized palliative care in Niagara, guided by the belief that everyone deserves dignity, comfort and compassion at the end of life,” said Dr. Ceglie. “That commitment has never changed, and we're proud to build on the work of those who came before us.”
“A residential hospice in Niagara Falls would be a meaningful extension of that legacy, offering individuals and families a dedicated, home-like setting supported by experienced healthcare professionals. We're grateful to the City of Niagara Falls, the generous community partners who have helped make this possible, and the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health as we work together to advance this important proposal.”
Looking Ahead
Before his stroke, Ian knew Hotel Dieu Shaver existed. He had worked just a few hundred metres away, ridden his bicycle past the hospital and knew, broadly, that rehabilitation happened within its walls.
“It was a passing thought,” he admitted.
His appreciation for rehabilitation is considerably different today, shaped not only by his own recovery but by the journeys of the patients around him. Ian initially hoped for a private room, but now says sharing a room and completing therapy alongside other patients gave him a perspective he wouldn't trade.
“The challenges that they have faced dwarf my own,” he said. “Instead of wallowing in my own self-pity, I look at their successes.”
That perspective became another source of motivation. Ian watched patients older than him work toward their own goals and found himself drawing inspiration from their determination, while the friendships formed along the way became an unexpected part of his rehabilitation experience.
“I've made friends here that I think will be lifelong friends.”
Ian also thinks about his great-grandfather, who experienced a stroke with similar paralysis decades ago and lived with significant impairment for the remainder of his life. The contrast between that experience and his own has left a lasting impression on someone who has spent much of his career immersed in science.
“You have the right tools, you have the right people, and the outcomes are far better,” he said. “It really is remarkable.”
About Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre
As Niagara's only rehabilitation hospital, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre provides specialized rehabilitation and complex care services to patients from across the region. Through the expertise of its dedicated staff and physicians, HDS supports more than 1,100 inpatients and 23,000 outpatient visits annually. Guided by its mission to restore health, rebuild lives and renew hope, HDS is committed to delivering compassionate, person-centred care that helps improve the lives of Niagara residents.
For more information, please contact:
City of Niagara Falls
Carey Campbell
Manager, Office of the Mayor and CAO
ccampbell@niagarafalls.ca
Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre
Brock Smith
Manager, Public Affairs and Redevelopment Communications
Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre
brock.smith@hoteldieushaver.org