‘We’re visionaries and we plan for the future. Invest now and hopefully it takes care of the growth in the future,’ says Doug Ford
Shovels are in the ground in Alliston to help keep hospital beds out of hallways.
Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones joined Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) staff and foundation representatives as well as provincial and local officials for a groundbreaking ceremony of the hospital’s planned expansion on March 9.
Despite making a lot of announcements across the province, Ford said his favourites are in communities like New Tecumseth.
“Everyone is connected within the community and everyone’s pitching in and it’s life-changing when we make these investments,” he said.
The expansion is set to triple the emergency department size, increase hospital bed capacity to 47 from 38 with nine new private rooms, and add two new operating rooms, a new birthing unit, an expanded pharmacy and expanded laboratory and diagnostic imaging space — including a new MRI suite.
In addition to all of that, the expansion is also set to include enhanced device processing, increased space for support operations, and more space for material management.
“Today’s investment at Stevenson will increase inpatient bed capacity and expand services offered to your families, ensuring that more people across Simcoe County can connect to convenient care where and when they need it for generations to come,” Jones said.
Originally built in 1964, SMH was designed to handle about 7,000 emergency department visits each year, but is currently seeing about 35,000 annually, according to hospital staff.
To deal with that increased demand, the province initially approved on March 16, 2022, the roughly 13,666-square-metre (147,100-square-foot) expansion set to wrap around the existing 6,503-sq.-m (70,000-sq.-ft.) building at 200 Fletcher Cres.
The design is intended to make use of natural light and include new gardens, green spaces, enhanced parking and a new, elevated helipad.
“Today’s event has been years in the making,” Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson said, praising the dedication of hospital leadership, physicians, staff, volunteers, foundation supporters, donors and municipal representatives.
“Today is an opportunity to recognize that shared commitment and the vision that has made this possible. So thank you to everyone who has helped bring us to this milestone,” he said.
That was echoed by hospital supervisor Carmine Stumpo, who emphasized more than 10 years of hard work, planning and collaboration overcame challenges, twists and turns.
The province and SMH announced on Jan. 30 that they awarded the construction contract to Pomerleau for $174 million and if all goes well, work is expected to be complete by late 2028.
That followed a November announcement from Saunderson that the province has also provided SMH with $434,721 in Community Infrastructure Renewal funding (CIRF) to upgrade the hospital’s infrastructure.
As a long-time resident of New Tecumseth, Mayor Richard Norcross called the groundbreaking “deeply personal.”
“We are grateful to have Stevenson Memorial Hospital serving our community, and with this new facility, it will be able to do so much more. Not just for us today, but for generations of New Tecumseth families to come.”
Previously, the hospital announced Jan. 25, 2025, that Melrose Paving had begun site preparations including grading work plus building retaining walls, a new parking lot and the helipad.
That came as part of a $14.5-million contract and work was almost entirely completed on schedule by the end of November, according to a hospital representative. Some heating elements still need to be added to the helipad before it can undergo final inspection from Transportation Canada.
When it comes to the provincial review of 2051 growth targets in South Simcoe, Saunderson said that to whatever extent they are increased, he expects the expansion will be able to meet the needs of that growing population.
He also expects an announcement to come on those growth targets in future.
The provincial government’s $174-million investment in SMH comes as part of its plan to invest $60 billion on major health infrastructure over the next 10 years; that’s expected to provide about 3,000 new hospital beds and better connect the health-care system.
The province projects that by 2051 Ontario’s population will grow to 20.5 million, and the number of people older than 65 will increase to 4.6 million.
In order to meet the demands of that growing and aging population, Ford expects it will require continuous investment and improvement, adding he’s hopeful SMH will see “a few more additions” in time.
“You’re thinking years down the road and that’s what our government does,” he said. “We’re visionaries and we plan for the future. Invest now and hopefully it takes care of the growth in the future.”
In 2025-26 alone, the government says they’re investing $257 million for critical infrastructure repairs and upgrades at 126 hospitals and 66 community health-care facilities across the province.
The premier also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong economy.
“Without a strong economy, we can’t put money into health care, education or infrastructure and that’s where everyone comes together,” he said.