<br> By David Pattenaude, Petrolia Topic<br> <br> Thirty-six nex beds opening up in Petrolia<br> <br> PETROLIA – A $12-million, 62-bed addition at Fiddick's Nursing Home in Petrolia will be complete in April.<br> <br> An open house is being held at the new addition April 12 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 60 residents from the existing nursing home will move into the new addition April 15 and 16, said Fiddick's administrator Mike Fiddick this week.<br> <br> The move from the existing 60-bed nursing home to the new one will allow renovations to be carried out in 60 rooms at the existing home.<br> <br> After renovations are completed this fall, most of the renovated rooms will be larger, Fiddick said, and 36 residents will move back from the addition to the renovated home.<br> <br> When complete, the renovations will leave Fiddick’s with a total 130 nursing home beds and 34 retirement home beds.<br> <br> A grand opening will be held in the fall to celebrate the renovations and the addition — where there are still vacancies for rooms.<br> <br> Up to 50 workers, both part-time and full-time, will be needed to work in the retirement and nursing homes at Fiddick's. A job fair is being held March 26 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and March 27 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Lambton College's Employment & Learning Centre — 4248 Oil Heritage Rd. in Petrolia.<br> <br> Positions being sought include registered practical nurses, personal support workers, and workers for the laundry, dietary and housekeeping departments.<br> <br> The Fiddick's expansion — and a similar 36-bed expansion at Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia — were approved by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in September, 2011 after they were announced in March, 2010 by the Erie-St. Clair Local Health Integration Network.<br> <br> The expansions at the two nursing homes are expected to help eliminate a shortage of long-term care beds in Lambton County and free up acute care beds in Bluewater Health's two hospitals.<br>
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