The Ontario government has confirmed it will invest $50 million to support planning for the new Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora as part of its 10-year, $60-billion initiative to increase health care access across the province.
The funding announced by Premier Doug Ford will also see $1.9 million spent to support the redevelopment and expansion of the Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care long-term care home, which will be located on the campus of care at the hospital.
The new hospital “means the more than 30,000 patients from Kenora and the surrounding area who rely on the hospital every year will have access to world-class health care now and for generations to come,” Ford said.
The government has already spent $7.6 million to build Kenora’s first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic suite.
Once opened, the new hospital will replace the current Lake of the Woods District Hospital, creating a larger, state-of-the-art facility with increased access to core programs and services, a modernized emergency department, a mental health unit and a transitional care unit. It will also incorporate Indigenous health and ambulatory care spaces.
“This announcement is a big reflection on the power of collaboration and shared vision, as well as a strong example of the importance of incorporating First Nations voices and knowledge in a systematic grassroots way,” said Chief Chris Skead, acting board president on behalf of the Board of Kenora Chiefs Advisory.”
“This new campus is just the beginning of a transformative journey. This will open pathways and create connected programming to ensure our people are taken care of physically, mentally and spiritually.”
The new and expanded long-term care home, a not-for-profit licensed to Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care, an organization formed under the leadership of the Kenora Chiefs Advisory, will offer 160 modernized beds. It will be eligible for additional funding under the government’s new capital funding program, with construction expected to begin next year.
“The development of this property site, which is owned by Kenora Chiefs Advisory, includes the All Nations Hospital project, and Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care and remains guided by several Elders and the consistent advocacy of our Board of Directors,” Ogimaawabiitong Executive Director Jennifer Dreaver said in a press release.
“The success to date is owed to the power of partnerships between First Nation leadership and the Lake of the Woods District Hospital and its Board of Directors. “
The initial planning phase for the hospital will include a determination of bed numbers and square footage. Once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded, a construction schedule will be confirmed.
