Flooded nursing home being rebuilt in Stratford, Ont.

The PeopleCare long-term care home in Stratford is pictured on Thursday, March 5, 2015. (Krista Simpson / CTV Kitchener)

In 2015, a burst pipe flooded and forced the closure of PeopleCare’s long-term care home in Stratford, Ont.

Seven years later, the long-awaited rebuild is happening.

On Thursday, the government announced that they’ve approved PeopleCare’s plan to build a brand new, 160-bed long-term care home in the northeast part of Stratford.

"Good things sometimes take time,” said Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece in a statement. “All along, we have said we need to bring those beds back into service, but this announcement goes even further. It will bring 160 beds in a modern facility to Stratford and Perth-Wellington, right where we need them.”

Construction is expected to begin on the new long-term care home this fall.

PeopleCare estimates Stratford’s 75+ population will grow by 78 per cent by 2030.

Ontario’s Minister of Long Term Care, Rod Phillips, says the province is currently adding 419 new or upgraded long-term care beds in Perth County, as they aim to add 30,000 new spaces for Ontario seniors over the coming years.