KENORA – Nearly a decade after planning began, the first aspect of Kenora’s 126-acre Campus of Care should see construction beginning in June of 2027.
That first step will be Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care, with doors expected to open within three years according to project lead Joe Barnes of the Kenora Chief’s Advisory (KCA).
Now that the partners have agreed on a master site plan, the parties involved can move forward with next steps in the project, which will include a new hospital that will replace the Lake of the Woods District Hospital, currently being called the All Nations Hospital Project. It will be surrounded by the new Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care as well as other health-care facilities.
For the city, that means designing the infrastructure extensions to bring sewer and water services into the property.
“And, looking even further down the road, once construction starts, the City of Kenora and its members are going to benefit significantly from the economic spin-offs that are going to happen from this,” said Stace Gander, Kenora’s CAO.
Gander said there will likely be between 500 and 700 construction jobs on site for five to seven years, and many jobs within the Campus of Care once its up and running.
“With all that activity, all that vibrancy, all that employment, it’s just going to elevate Kenora and what living in Kenora is all about,” he said.
The city did previously allocate $2.2 million for design works and sewer and water extension, said Gander, who added it’s too early to have a firm cost.
The land still needs to be subdivided for the Lake of the Woods District Hospital to purchase 30 acres of the land to replace the current, century-old hospital with a new one, currently being referred to as the All Nations Hospital Project.
“The economic development opportunities that are coming to the city . . . is one of the largest infrastructure projects this community has ever seen, and the implications of that on all aspects of our community are going to be terrific,” said CEO and president of the hospital, Cheryl O’Flaherty.
She said that the project planning is currently being sustained on $50 million allocated from the province in May of 2025, and that they are waiting on the province for funding for the project itself.
A portion of the funding for the project will need to come from other sources, and O’Flaherty said they are working with the Kenora Chiefs Advisory to determine where to seek those funds.
Barnes added that they’ll be meeting with the federal government this November to see which ministries can play a role in supporting the project, with the province having given Kenora Chiefs Advisory $2.4 million for planning and design work. The other projects on the Campus of Care will be privately invested in, he said.
They expect construction to begin on the Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care next June.
“If you take a look at the size of this project and what it means for this community and the surrounding communities, the employment, job opportunities, economic development . . . this is a major project for this area and it will dramatically change the face of Kenora in a very positive way,” Barnes said.
O’Flaherty also mentioned the idea of holding a town hall meeting for public engagement on the Campus of Care within the next few months.
