The Yukon Party government intends to reopen the doors to the crumbling Thomson Centre in six months.

'Reopening Thomson Centre as a long-term care facility will allow us to address our immediate needs and give us time to address our future needs,' Health Minister Brad Cathers told a news conference this morning.

The Thomson Centre, located next to Whitehorse General Hospital, opened in 1992 as a palliative care centre amid huge fanfare.

Barely a decade later, it was discovered there were serious and costly problems with the roof construction and related moulding from moisture that came through the roof.

No one has lived in the nursing home since the summer of 2002, when its current residents were moved up to the new Copper Ridge Place.

Cathers said both the government and the Health department have experienced some frustration in how long it has taken to get the needed repairs finished on the facility.

'It took some time to repair the problems throughout the building. But we need to make sure it is a suitable environment,' said Cathers.

In the midst of the repairs, Cathers said other options were reviewed for the building, but it was decided that its original intended use made the most sense.

The review was conducted by Options Consulting of Vancouver this year and provided the government with its recommendations some months ago, said Cathers.

'We have come to the conclusion that the long-term best fit for this building is the same as our most pressing need long-term continuing care beds.'

Cathers was unable to say exactly how much has been spent on repairing the building so far, but that at least $2 million more will be invested before it's reopened.

The bulk of that money will go toward upgrading the nurse call system and purchasing new beds and equipment, he said.

The centre will again serve as a 44-bed residential care facility and will also provide palliative care. The number of beds will likely be phased in over a period of several years.

Funding has also been approved under the Territorial Health Access Fund for a palliative care co-ordinator and a palliative care volunteer co-ordinator.

'We have many pressures within the health community and reopening Thomson Centre as a continuing care facility is the best fit for the most pressing need,' said Elvira Knaack, the hospital's acting chief executive officer.

It will also help alleviate pressure on the hospital where acute care beds are becoming used for continuing care, said Cathers.

There are currently 17 Yukoners on a wait list for residential care.

'The need for continuing care will grow as Yukon's population continues to grow and to age. We are committed to making the move now to reopen the Thomson Centre to address that need,' he said.

Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell said today it's just another announcement in the dying days of the Yukon Party government's current mandate. Premier Dennis Fentie must call an election by November.

'I don't understand why it's taken until the days or weeks before an election to move on this,' said Mitchell.

With the Yukon's aging population, it is necessary to move forward and plan ahead to address the problems and needs, said Mitchell.

'We've seen a lot of capital (health facility) projects delayed and deferred under this government,' he added, referring to the Watson Lake and Dawson City projects.

Cathers said the government has been working on Thomson Centre throughout its mandate and the delay was strictly related to the extent of the repairs needed.

The government has now reached the point it had the information available to move forward and make the announcement about the reopening, he said.

He added the department will begin a process next year to work with seniors and Yukoners with disabilities on planning for continuing care requirements down the road.