The plans call for the hospital to renovate and add over 27,000 square feet to the existing emergency department, expanding it to up to four times its current size.

Champagne argued the shift will offer the "clarity" departments, businesses and policy-makers need to plan better for upcoming fiscal years.

More than 9,000 Canadian trades workers contributed more than 8.4 million work hours to the site.

The province says the roundabout at the intersection of Highway 15 and County Road 42 will improve road safety and create construction jobs.

The city reported last month that construction values reached $214.5 million for the year to date. The city’s previous high for a single year was $67 million.