The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place Hits Major Milestone in Toronto’s West Don Lands

The new 348-bed Campus of Care reaches grade level, bringing specialized units and a George Brown Polytechnic partnership to the waterfront

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2026 /CNW/ — Today, The Rekai Centres, the Minister of Long Term Care, Natalia Kusdendova-Bashta, Ward 13 Councillor Chris Moise, and representatives from the Building Ontario Fund, Waterfront Toronto, George Brown Polytechnic, LifeLabs, and Multiplex are celebrating a major construction milestone: the new 348-bed Rekai Centre at Cherry Place has officially reached grade in Toronto’s West Don Lands.

This milestone also marks the official announcement of a partnership with George Brown Polytechnic to anchor the facility’s new Campus of Care. The integrated Education Centre will give healthcare students the opportunity to learn within an active long-term care environment, building on a long-standing relationship between the two organizations.

As part of the project, LifeLabs will provide onsite laboratory and diagnostic support services at their ground-floor Patient Service Centre (PSC). Open to all, the LifeLabs PSC in the Rekai Centre at Cherry Place will help bring together diagnostic care and long-term care in one convenient and accessible location for both residents and those in the surrounding neighbourhood. 

Expected to open in 2028, the Rekai Centre at Cherry Place will bring much-needed long-term care capacity and complementary health and education services to the growing waterfront community. The new facility will include 96 beds for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, 22 beds within Rekai’s Rainbow Wing, which supports the needs of members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and their allies, as well as an Infection Control Zone.

“Our government continues to make historic investments into long-term care to build more homes and hire new staff. Today marks a significant milestone for the Rekai Centre at Cherry Place long-term care development, built through the Building Ontario Fund. Once construction is complete, 348 residents in the community will have a new home where they can receive the care they need, when they need it,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care

“This milestone marks an important step forward for the Canary District and for Toronto. The Rekai Centre will bring much-needed long-term care, healthcare and education opportunities to a growing neighbourhood, while helping create a more connected and inclusive community for residents of all ages,” said Councillor Chris Moise, Ward 13, Toronto City Council.

“The Rekai Centres’ new vision calls for a transformative, integrated Campus of Care for our residents, clients, families, and the community. With the support and expertise of our partners, we are bringing that vision to life at Cherry Place, creating a place where people can age in their neighbourhoods with the high-quality care and a home they deserve,” said Peter Rekai, Chair of the Board of Directors, The Rekai Centres.

“George Brown Polytechnic is pleased to partner with The Rekai Centres on a new Education Centre. By bringing education and practice together, we can provide our students with meaningful experiential learning while contributing to the development of a skilled healthcare workforce and strengthening care in our communities,” said Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown Polytechnic.

“Building Ontario Fund is proud to support the Rekai Centre at Cherry Place as this important project reaches an exciting construction milestone. This innovative project will deliver much-needed long-term care capacity while creating a unique hub that integrates community and medical services under one roof,” said Michael Fedchyshyn, CEO, Building Ontario Fund.

“Waterfront Toronto is dedicated to building complete communities where people can live, work, learn, and thrive. That requires looking beyond housing to secure essential services like healthcare and senior care. The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place is a vital investment in our social infrastructure, ensuring residents along Toronto’s waterfront have the support they need through every stage of life,” said Meg Davis, Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto.

“LifeLabs is proud to support this collaborative project and help advance a more connected model of care to the wider community and the future residents of the Rekai Centre at Cherry Place. Healthcare innovation starts with bringing the right services and expertise closer to the people and communities who need them. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to strengthening community-based, patient-centred care and to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Ontarians,” said Erica Zarkovich, Chief Market and Partnerships Officer, LifeLabs. 

“We recognize the need for long-term care and healthcare services in Toronto’s downtown core. The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place will provide high-quality care for residents while helping ease pressure on hospitals by supporting people whose needs are better met in a long-term care setting,” said Derek Gorgi, Managing Partner, Multiplex.

Event photos are available for media and attendees through the event photo gallery.

About The Rekai Centres

The Rekai Centres is a not-for-profit charitable corporation that currently owns and operates two long-term care homes in downtown Toronto, providing care to 240 residents. The Rekai Centres began as Central Hospital in the 1950s, founded by two brothers, Drs. Paul and John Rekai, who fled Hungary after the Second World War. They started Central Hospital with the mantra, “the best care in any language.” Multiculturalism has been a core value of The Rekai Centres since its inception, beginning with its first long-term care home, The Rekai Centre at Sherbourne Place, which opened in 1988. In 2022, recognizing the needs of Toronto’s diverse community, The Rekai Centres opened the first Rainbow Wing in a long-term care home in North America, to better meet the needs of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. In 2015, The Rekai Centres offered six student placements. In 2025, that number grew to 593. With the opening of the third site, the new Rekai Centre at Cherry Place, the Board of Directors and Management recently adopted a new Vision Statement, “A transformative, integrated Campus of Care for our residents, clients, their families, and the communities we serve.”

SOURCE George Brown Polytechnic