An announcement in the 2021 Ontario budget has set the stage for the development of a new acute-care hospital in Windsor-Essex.

The budget committed $9.8 million in funding for the project, which will be used to cover Stage 2 planning costs for the hospital’s development. The announcement is a significant milestone in the region’s nine-year quest to replace the Windsor Regional Hospital’s (WRH’s) outdated Met and Ouelette campuses.

The funding, says the budget, will “support the ongoing planning of a new regional hospital in Windsor‐Essex which will bring together acute care services in one location.” The project will also, “consolidate acute care services while retaining the existing Ouellette site for urgent care and ambulatory services.”

“Premier Ford told us last August that he would ‘go in there like an 800-pound gorilla’ to fight ‘tooth and nail’ for a new hospital for our community,” said WRH president and CEO David Musyj. “The premier kept his promise, and in doing so has made an unprecedented health care infrastructure commitment to this community that will benefit generations to come.”

Approval of Stage 2 along with the provincial funding confirms that construction of the mega-hospital will go forward.

Stage 2 of the capital planning process to develop the new hospital includes the creation of a functional program—a detailed description of how the new system will operate. It includes a look at staffing, space, and equipment requirements and focuses on workflow for patients, staff, and materials.

Stage 2 also includes a community engagement strategy and a framework outlining levels of community participation.

“We are thankful to the many local political leaders and community advocates who didn’t lose hope and continued to press our government for action,” said Musyj. “This was a team effort and our entire community should be proud and know that the government heard loud and clear the need for a new hospital system for our region.”

The hospital says the need for a new facility has never been greater. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the deficiencies of current hospital facilities. A lack of private rooms to prevent infection spread, poor ventilation that risks transmission, and an ability to segregate areas of the facility were all challenges faced by WRH since the onset of the pandemic.

“The hard work is just beginning,” Musyj said. “We look forward to getting going on our stage 2 development and moving ever closer to the first shovel digging into the ground at our new hospital site on Highway 42 in the near future.”

Stage 2 could take as many as 24 months to complete.

Announced on March 24, Ontario’s 2021 budget includes $30.2 billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years, including an additional $3 billion for hospital infrastructure.