The green light has been given for the next phase of redevelopment for Wallaceburg’s hospital.
With the construction of a new power plant near completion at the Wallaceburg site of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), the Ministry of Health has approved the next phase of the project. This phase will include detailed design planning and determining cost estimates.
CKHA officials, local politicians, and Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton announced the beginning of Phase 2 on Friday.
“Health care has a need of ensuring we have good facilities and good equipment for our staff, physicians and volunteers to deliver the care that is required for the community,” said CKHA President and CEO Lori Marshall. “So today’s announcement really allows us to plan for the hospital of the future that will care for patients in a manner that is contemporary, state-of-the-art and also provides the adequate facilities.”
The current design focuses on a newly constructed hospital building for the Emergency Department, medical beds, Diagnostic Imaging, and a laboratory. The current emergency department at the Wallaceburg hospital would also be converted into additional space for ambulatory care services. The project also calls for the demolition of the hospital’s east wing.
Marshall said the preliminary proposal for Phase 2 estimated that the project would cost roughly $25 million. However, she added that the cost will likely be reevaluated once the planning process has been completed.
Marshall said 90 per cent of the project will be funded by the provincial government, while the remaining 10 per cent will need to be publically funded. Any new hospital equipment would also need to be funded by the local community, likely through fundraising efforts.
The second phase of the project will also include significant community engagement.
Marshall said there are a number of ways the CKHA intends to seek public input to ensure the hospital meets the needs of the community. She said these could include focus groups, public surveys and even physical mock-ups of proposed designs.
McNaughton, who also serves as the MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, said the project will take time to ensure it is done correctly.
“Engaging the public to hear feedback from them about what they want to see in this hospital — that’s an important part, to make sure we’re consulting with the community and get this done right and then move forward with shovels in the ground,” he said.
Redevelopment of the Wallaceburg hospital first began in 2018 after the Ministry of Health approved the $8.1 million replacement power plant project. The provincial government also provided a grant of $7.3 million to be used towards the power plant for new boilers, generators and electrical distribution equipment. The power plant project is expected to complete by early next year.
Most of the original construction of the Wallaceburg hospital was completed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
