Fred Langan 

There will soon be only one care facility in Knowlton, where once there were three. “They notified the town that they would be closing on March 31,” said mayor Richard Burcombe. A shortage of staff and rising costs are said to be the reason for the closing. Similar homes in Granby and Waterloo have closed recently. 

There are just 11 residents left at the home on Knowlton Road, all private patients. There are ten employees to care for them. 

On a morning in March, the 11 people, older men and women, sat in a semi-circle silently watching television. They are all suffering from dementia. 

Until quite recently, there were 65 residents of the home and about 35 employees at the peak. The other residents have moved to Excelsoins’s property in Cowansville. Some employees who commute long distances have been staying in the spare rooms in the building. 

The Town of Brome Lake is monitoring the situation, as are Quebec Government health officials. “We have been in contact with Excelsoins. The CIUSSS assures us that the remaining residents will be taken care of and placed,” said Cynthia Brunelle, director of tourism, culture and community life at the Town of Brome Lake. 

No one is certain what will become of the large building on Knowlton Road. The staff there speculate it could become condos or apartments, but no one is certain.