Search for new K-W hospital location narrowed down to two
We’re one step closer to finding out the new location of Kitchener-Waterloo’s newest hospital.
The group responsible for picking the potential site has narrowed down the list to two.
They aren’t, however, identifying them at this time.
The five-person Site Selection Panel has put forward two locations that were approved in April by the boards of Grand River Hospital, St. Mary’s General Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health System.
“The hospitals are now in the negotiation process to secure land for the new hospital, which includes completing due diligence and discussions with the landowners of both sites,” the panel said in a media release posted Friday. “To ensure a fair negotiation process, the site locations and landowners will not be shared until land has been secured.”
They added that negotiations could take several months.
A shortlist of three properties was identified in December 2023. The group said those were then reviewed by environmental experts, planning professionals, lawyers, engineers, members of the Indigenous community and whittled down to two.
Panel chair Carl Zehr said, in an interview with CTV News in January, that the initial three properties met the required criteria – each was at least 50 acres in size.
Further updates on the negotiation process could come later this year.
History of the hospital project
The plan to build a new hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo was announced on June 23, 2022.
“This is really a generational project for this region, both in size and in impact,” Ron Gagnon, Grand River Hospital's president and CEO, said at the time. “It is really exciting that we are building off of a decades-long partnership between the two hospitals to take this next step to help reinforce and build a Region of Waterloo health system.”
The building would include 1,200 beds and a state-of-the-art acute care centre. The hospital also wants to bring in new services, like neurology and neurosurgery, so patients don’t have to travel out of the region for specialized care.
The hospitals also noted the age of both their buildings.
The current plan is to repurpose Grand River Hospital as an ambulatory and urgent care centre, while its Freeport Campus would be modernized and expanded for rehabilitation services.
The future of St. Mary's General Hospital hasn't been announced yet.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pharmacare bill passes in the House of Commons, heads to the Senate
The Liberals' pharmacare bill is headed to the Senate after passing third reading in the House of Commons.
National Bank of Canada seizes Ont. woman’s car by mistake
A university student woke up one morning to find her car had been towed away without warning. She finally got answers - just not the ones she expected.
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's one of the main reasons, according to an immigration expert
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
MPs 'wittingly' took part in foreign interference: national security committee
Some MPs began 'wittingly assisting' foreign state actors soon after their election, says a report released Monday, including sending confidential information to Indian officials.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Bus carrying Quebec tourists crashes in Cuba, leaving 1 dead and 26 injured
One person is dead and 26 were injured after a bus carrying Quebec tourists was involved in a collision in Cuba on Sunday.
Here's how far B.C. drivers must keep from cyclists, pedestrians under new law
A new law protecting cyclists and pedestrians in British Columbia takes effect Monday, establishing minimum distances that drivers must keep from so-called vulnerable road users.
N.L. becomes latest province to eye stricter tobacco regulations
Newfoundland and Labrador has floated an eyebrow-raising trial balloon in a bid to further the public health fight against tobacco and nicotine.
Forest bathing: What it is and why some Alberta doctors recommend it
Many people are familiar with the benefits of being in nature, but forest therapy goes a step further than a simple walk in the woods.