SIGN GOES UP TODAY AS ORILLIA HOSPITAL ADVANCES TO NEXT BUILD 1.3 STAGE BESIDE 25-ACRE PREFERRED LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY SITE

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

ORILLIA — The Mariposa city’s burgeoning population marked two major milestones today on its path to building a new Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.

A long-awaited stepping stone began Friday with an Ontario Builds sign at the preferred site — and confirmation from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ontario Health (OH) that the project has advanced to the next stage of capital planning, says an OSMH press release today.

“As a part of our $64 billion plan to get shovels in the ground for over 50 hospital projects across the province, our government is proud to support the development of a new, state-of-the-art Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health on hand.

The sign on University Avenue is in front of a 25-acre parcel of land owned by Lakehead University that has been identified as the preferred location for the new hospital — 25 miles south of Gravenhurst.

It recognizes the province’s $3 million planning grant announced by Premier Doug Ford on May 23.

Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop and Deputy Health Minister Sylvia Jones, centre, were among those on hand this morning along University Avenue in Orillia, on land owned by Lakehead University, at the preferred site for a new hospital. PHOTOS OSMH

“It reflects the strong collaboration between OSMH, Lakehead University, and our community,” said Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop, Ontario’s Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

In addition to the sign, OSMH announced it has received formal confirmation from the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health that the project has successfully advanced from Stage 1.2 (Proposal Development) to Stage 1.3 (Functional Program) within the province’s capital planning process.

Advancement to Stage 1.3 represents a significant step forward and enables more detailed and advanced planning work, including the development of functional space requirements, project scope, and early design elements that will physically shape the new hospital.

“Reaching Stage 1.3 represents a major milestone in our redevelopment journey and reflects the strength of our planning work to date,” said Tom Roberts, OSMH Interim President and CEO.   “With this approval, we move decisively into planning for a greenfield, new hospital co-located at the Lakehead University Orillia campus.”

OSMH board chair Lawrence Pietras said: “Today’s milestones reflect not only meaningful progress, but a shared commitment to the future of health care in our region.   As a board, we are focused on ensuring this new hospital is thoughtfully planned, financially responsible, and built to meet the needs of the communities we serve for decades to come. The support of our provincial and community partners gives us confidence that we are on the right path.”

The new hospital project remains in the planning phase, with ongoing collaboration involving the province of university, healthcare partners, the City of Orillia, and the broader community.

The 25-acres preferred hospital site in Orillia – 25 miles south of Gravenhurst – on Lakehead University lands along Univerty Avenue near the Rotary Rec Centre and Costco.
A large gathering of hospital supporters turned out from Orillia and the university to mark the two milestones.

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