When the Veterans' Hospital in Ste. Anne de Bellevue switched jurisdiction on April 1, most though it would just mean more beds for Quebecers needing long-term care, but it did so much more than that.
Since the switch from being a federal to a provincial hospital, more than two dozen civilian patients have moved into the hospital formerly reserved for veterans.
One of those patients is Jeanne D'Arc Desbiens, who has now been reunited with her husband of 43 years Rosaire Gaston-Ouellette.
The couple have been forced to live apart for the past six years because Jeanne was living at the Grace Dart long-term care facility in the east end, while Rosaire
The Health Board will be closing a building at Grace Dart, forcing nearly 80 patients to move from one end of the island to the other.
While it has been hard to be apart for six years, the couple, who are both 91, say they're just happy to be able to spend the rest of their lives together.
"She's a woman of character," Rosaire told CTV Montreal. "And now I can keep an eye on her."
"I've been waiting a long time for this," said Jeanne.