Contract Awarded for New Markdale Hospital, Construction Started
On February 26, 2021, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott announced that the construction of a new hospital for Markdale has been approved. The province awarded a contract to Bird Construction to build the 68,000 square foot facility on Toronto Street South.
“This is the news we have been waiting for, and we are extremely pleased to begin construction of a brand new, state-of-the art hospital in Markdale,” said Gary Sims, President & CEO of Grey Bruce Health Services. “This announcement solidifies the future of excellent health care in the Centre Grey area.
GBHS issued a call for tenders to build a new hospital last summer. After reviewing the bids, the GBHS Board of Directors recommended to the Ministry of Health that Bird Construction be awarded the contract. Bird Construction has offices across Canada, and has built many large health care facilities.
Read the full news release here.
Questions & Answers on the New Hospital
When do you hope to begin construction?
Construction started in March of 2021. The new hospital will take approximately 2 years to build.
How much will the new hospital cost?
The hospital is expected to be close to $70 million.
Who pays for this new hospital?
As with all hospital projects in Ontario, the community is expected to fundraise for 10-15% of the allowable costs. The Centre Grey community and the Centre Grey Hospital Foundation have raised a significant amount of money over the years, and we are very grateful for their ongoing support. ‘Allowable costs’ are usually the hard construction costs and site preparation. GBHS and CGHSF must cover 100% of costs for furniture and equipment inside of the new building.
What services will be included in the new hospital?
- 24/7 Emergency Room
- 3 exam rooms & a treatment room
- 4 patient rooms
- Palliative care room
- Physiotherapy area
- Procedures room (i.e. endoscopy)
- Diagnostic Imaging (x-ray, ultrasound)
- Ambulatory Care
- Laboratory
- Business Office & Central Registration
- Atrium and Café
- Centre Grey Hospital Foundation Office
How big will the new hospital be?
Once completed, the new hospital will be 78,178 sq. feet.
How big is the current facility, and when was it built?
The current hospital is 36,807 sq. ft., and it is 63 years old. It opened in 1958.
When will the new hospital open?
At this point, we expect that the new hospital will open by the end of 2023.
Will the current hospital continue to take patients until the new hospital opens?
Yes.
Can you briefly describe what the contractors are doing onsite now, and what some of the next steps are?
As of mid March 2021, the contractor has been onsite doing excavation work, and fencing has been installed to create a buffer between the construction site and the neighbouring properties to reduce dust and silt in the area. Installation of sanitary sewers will be underway shortly, and the contractors will begin erecting the foundation for the new hospital by the end of April.
GBHS will be sending a letter to the local residents immediately adjacent to the construction site to provide them with an update.
How many beds will the hospital have?
We will have four beds. We expect to be as busy in the new hospital as we are in our current facility, as most of our services are done on an out-patient basis. Grey Bruce Health Services is a family of 6 hospitals, and we will work with our other sites to ensure that patients who need to be admitted will have access to a bed.
What are the differences between the new hospital and the old one? Is there any new equipment or services being provided that were not previously?
Our current hospital is close to 70 years old, and a lot has changed in hospital care in this time. The new facility will be purpose built to today’s infection control standards, with new, modern equipment, and room to grow. The new hospital will have dedicated treatment areas, and proper waiting areas – not hallways – with room for staff and physicians to work, and room for patients to be treated in private areas with dignity and respect.
The new facility will have fewer inpatient beds, but most of the services provided in the current hospital will continue in the new facility. We hope to grow the ambulatory care services in the future.
Where can I get updates on the construction?
Project updates and photos will be posted on our website at gbhs.on.ca. We will provide updates to the Grey Highlands community through the Municipality of Grey Highlands e-newsletter – What’s Happening. We hope to have a large screen TV in an office window in downtown Markdale to provide the public with project photos, videos and updates.
Questions?
If you would like to send us a question about the new hospital, please send it to markdalequestions@gbhs.on.ca
