Under the first intake of its Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, the province has committed to investing $970 million in 54 projects across 60 municipalities.

The expansion will be almost double the size of the current hospital, enabling increased health care capacity in Durham Region.

The minister outlined ways in which the government may restrict eligibility for the program, including looking at how long a business has operated and whether it has a history of layoffs.

Under the funding agreement, the federal government will provide $23 million toward the project, and the city will contribute the remaining $125.7 million.

The work, which began in 2015, involved widening Cabana Road West to four traffic lanes from Provincial Road to Highway 3.