Canada’s oldest unrenovated healthcare facility is finally getting an upgrade.

The federal government announced on June 17 that it will provide funding of more than $1.2 billion to support the construction of the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) Hospital Redevelopment Project.

“We have been clear since the beginning that the federal government would be there to get this hospital built,” said Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu. “This $1.2-billion announcement will help First Nations in Northern Ontario have fair access to quality healthcare. Thanks to the leadership of the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, the 12,000 people in the Weeneebayko region will have the services they need closer to home."

The facility, which is located on Moose Factory Island, was originally built as a tuberculosis sanitorium. It is 74 years old, and serves more 12,000 people in six communities along the James Bay Coast.

The scope of the WAHA development project calls for the construction of a new, culturally appropriate health campus in Moosonee, including a new WAHA hospital and Elder care lodge, as well as a new ambulatory care centre on Moose Factory Island.

“In the spirit of truth and reconciliation I am thankful and appreciate Canada in fulfilling their commitment to our new healthcare campus in Moosonee and ambulatory care center in Moose Factory,” said WAHA President and CEO Lynne Innes. “This is a pivotal step to ensuring the health, safety, and dignity of our First Nations communities. We look forward to bringing this long-overdue project to fruition."

An additional $44 million in funding – also announced by the provincial government on June 17 – will support the design of the project and early works construction. That investment is in addition to the nearly $1.3 billion Ontario has committed to the entire project.

With the additional provincial funding, contracts have now been awarded to support the early works construction that has started which involves the preparation of the site where the new hospital will be built, including the removal of existing soil over most of the site and replacement with crushed rock.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) awarded the contract for the development phase of the project to a team led by Pomerleau in January 2023.

The company is currently working with IO and WAHA under the Development Phase Agreement, as well as with the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Services Canada, to define and refine project requirements to advance the design and confirm fixed pricing.

Once the development phase is complete, the parties will have the option to sign a P3 project agreement and proceed to the construction phase, which is expected to begin this year.