SUTTON, ONT. -- "Anybody with an actual conscience would not simply hand the keys back over to the very operators who allowed these horrifying situations to occur," said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

The leader of Ontario's New Democrats said the province should not hand back the management of for-profit long-term care homes that the government took over during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province appointed temporary management at 11 homes as the facilities struggled to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, including River Glen Haven (RGH) in Sutton, where 37 residents died after becoming infected with COVID-19.

Maureen McDermott, whose 93-year-old mother resides at RGH, said on Friday that Dr. Craig Donaldson, who is credited with helping to end the outbreak, has quit.

"We've lost one of the best doctors River Glen could ever find, and that is a shame. Shame on ATK Care," McDermott said.

"We're saddened to hear that Dr. Donaldson will be leaving RGH, but wish him all the best. He was integral to ending the COVID-19 outbreak at the home and has been a great partner to Southlake during our time managing River Glen Haven," said Gayle Seddon, Southlake's Executive Lead for RGH.

During the height of the pandemic, the Sutton home saw 87 of its nearly 120 residents become infected with the virus.

Horwath said greed and a failure by previous governments to hold owners and operators of these facilities responsible led to hundreds of deaths across the province. She added Ontario should maintain oversight of the seniors' homes until all the investigations are completed.

When Southlake management took over RGH, it determined there wasn't enough space between the residents' beds, and the staff weren't adequately trained or equipped to stop the virus from spreading.

The owners of RGH, ATK Care Inc., did not respond to CTV's requests for comment.

"Look into my mother's eyes and tell her she's going to be okay with ATK care in there. I dare you to do that," said McDermott, who last week organized a demonstration outside the Sutton facility urging the Ministry of Long-Term Care to extend its 90-day emergency order, which ends Sunday.

Meanwhile, the ministry said, "It still stands that mandatory management orders may be extended beyond the 90 days, if necessary."

With files from The Canadian Press