Ontario Construction News staff writer
A new multi-billion dollar hospital is coming to Waterloo Region. The Ontario government announced on Monday that the University of Waterloo will be the home to the new acute care hospital.
Provincial and local officials announced the location, following an earlier statement that the province had allocated $5 million for early planning and construction work.
“The new site for the Waterloo Region hospital at the University of Waterloo will foster innovation, enhance research and better connect the growing region to convenient care closer to home,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Right across the province, our government is investing more than $50 billion to support more than 50 major hospital projects. When it comes to your health, we’re building a health care system that people across Ontario can count on.”
The new hospital is expected to open in 2035 and will be located on the University of Waterloo lands west of Bearinger Road and Hagey Boulevard.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on Monday that officials say the next steps are to work with the university to determine how the land will be developed.
The planning process for the new hospital is expected to take approximately five years, followed by five years of construction, the broadcaster reported.
“This is great news for the people of Waterloo Region. Our government is making record investments to improve hospital care in communities across Ontario. Through Your Health Plan, we are moving quickly to expand and modernize Ontario’s hospitals, allowing patients and their families to connect to the quality care they need, when and where they need it. This new state-of-the-art facility will meet that commitment for decades to come.”
The government statement says it is connecting communities in Southwestern Ontario to life-saving cardiac care by supporting St. Mary’s General Hospital with the planning, design and implementation of a new 3,500 sq. ft. Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
St. Mary’s General Hospital and Grand River Hospital provide care to more than 840,000 people in the Waterloo-Wellington area and will co-ordinate their work in the new hospital on land that is part of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park (R+T Park) at the university.