The new hospital in Markdale is 85 per cent complete and on target for full occupancy in the fall of 2023.
At its meeting on March 15, Grey Highlands council received an update about the hospital project from Centre Grey Health Services Foundation representatives Harvey Fraser and Darlene Lamberti.
The new hospital in Markdale has been planned for many years and construction on the project has been proceeding for many months. The new hospital is located immediately adjacent to the Grey Highlands municipal offices, which are part of the Grey Gables long-term care home complex on Highway 10.
The new hospital will cost an estimated $70 million and the foundation is working to raise $12.5 million towards the project.
Fraser told council the project is proceeding nicely and they expect to move into the new facility in mid-2023.
“Our project remains on time, on budget and on track,” he said.
Fraser explained that with any new hospital build, the local community is responsible for raising 10 per cent of the total bricks-and-mortar building costs and 100 per cent of the costs of new furniture and fixtures.
“Without community support, we’d have 90 per cent of an empty building,” Fraser said. “It is shaping up to be a facility we can all be proud of.”
The number of beds at the new hospital has already been expanded from four to seven and Fraser and Lamberti said the new hospital has room for expansion of services in the future. They noted that in the future, a CT scanner is on the radar as an upcoming project.
Mayor Paul McQueen thanked Fraser, Lamberti and the entire foundation team for their efforts to make the project a reality.
“Your hard work makes this happen. We look forward to the tour and ribbon cutting,” said McQueen.
