Last month, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced that a new hospital would be coming to the Collingwood area to replace the current Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and meet evolving needs in the community. The announcement came as welcome news to the residents of South Georgian Bay, who are eager for infrastructure upgrades in the region.
Although still early in the planning and development stages, the province has allotted nearly $100 million in funding for the new hospital. This is in addition to the $15.5 million investment already committed by the province, which it hopes will help create a state-of-the-art facility with increased patient capacity and new services to meet the demands of the region’s growing population.
The new hospital will be built on a 32-acre site on Poplar Sideroad, next to the South Georgian Bay campus of Georgian College. It will be nearly four times larger in size than the current facility and raise the number of beds from 84 to 132, with 98 inpatient beds and 34 additional beds. Also included in the proposal is 16 rehabilitation beds. Expanded services will also be a priority for the new hospital, with increased access to intensive care, emergency care, diagnostic imaging, and operating suites. A new auditorium and simulation centre will also train new staff.
Two new hospitals have also been commissioned by the Ontario government in South Muskoka
More planning needs to be done before construction can begin on the new hospital, with the province yet to finalize a construction budget or select a contractor. The current hope is to commence building in the fall of 2028, with sometime in 2033 as the targeted opening.
In the meantime, the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Foundation has its own fundraising to do to cover a portion of the costs for the new hospital. The Foundation has committed to pay for 10 per cent of the capital costs as well as all equipment costs, roughly totalling $100 million. However, with $20 million already pledged by the County of Simcoe, as well as some other early donations, the Foundation has so far raised $50 million to go toward the new facility.
Over the coming years, the Foundation will work with the community to raise the additional $50 million. Donors may have an opportunity to have their names included in certain parts of the new building. The province says it will also work with community leaders in the coming months to finalize design plans and will seek feedback from members of the public as well. Interested in donating to the Foundation or learning more? Click here.
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