Ontario Construction News staff writer
It’s been a year since shovels went in the ground for the new South Niagara Hospital (SNH), launching a five-year construction project to bring a new hospital to the Niagara region.
EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare (EDIH) crews have made impressive progress on the 12-storey, 1.3-million-square-foot project. Excavation for the foundation and basement level is complete, including the insertion of more than 1,250 steel piles into the bedrock to support the building foundation.
“As we hit the one-year milestone of the groundbreaking on the South Niagara Hospital project, it’s thrilling to see the progress the team has made,” said Andrew Anderson, senior vice president & area manager, Toronto, EllisDon. “Not only does it show everyone’s hard work and drive, it showcases our dedication to teamwork and partnership with Niagara Health and other fellow partners on site.
“With above ground work starting in May, the positive changes seen are both visible and exciting for our project teams but most importantly, the Niagara community.”
Elevator shafts and stairwells are taking shape, and the majority of the site services have been completed, including waterlines, stormwater and sanitary sewers. Electrical work is also progressing well.
In May, construction moved above ground level as work began on the superstructure. Currently crews are working on the first three floors of the building. Over the next two years, the community will be able to watch the building grow floor by floor until it reaches its 12-storey peak at an impressive 61-metres tall.
On average, there are more than 200 workers on-site each day, and in time it is anticipated that more than 1,000 skilled labourers will be working daily during peak construction periods. To date, many of these workers have been from local sub-contractors, signifying EDIH’s commitment to supporting the local workforce and businesses.
Behind-the-scenes, Niagara Health staff have been working closely with partners at EDIH and Infrastructure Ontario to finalize the hospital design. Since February 2023, hundreds of staff, physicians and patient and community partners have spent more than 4,500 hours working together with Niagara Health’s redevelopment team to put the finishing touches on the hospital design.
The planning process will be complete in the fall, and will include feedback received during high-fidelity room mock-ups, where eight rooms from the SNH have been built to scale with real furniture, fixtures, finishes and equipment.
Located in Niagara Falls at the corner of Montrose and Biggar roads, the South Niagara Hospital Project is on track for completion in 2028.
Niagara Health is also working towards making the SNH the first WELL-certified hospital in Canada, as a building that incorporates design elements that focus on the health and well-being of people working in, and using, the facility.
“Our partners at EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare have accomplished so much in the last year, and are on schedule to complete this project in 2028,” said Lynn Guerriero, president and CEO, Niagara Health. “The South Niagara Hospital is truly going to be an exceptional facility for both our patients and our staff, and we are eagerly anticipating the positive changes in healthcare that this new hospital will bring to our region.”