Ottawa Hospital’s new Civic campus getting $29M injection from province

The Ottawa Hospital’s new Civic campus is getting another injection of funds from the Ontario government, it was announced on Friday, March 25.

Premier Doug Ford visited the campus to make the announcement, adding that the $29.1 million coming from the provincial government is one of the largest planning grants in Ontario’s history. 

The extra cash will ensure the hospital will be one of the largest and most advanced academic research hospitals in Canada, improving access to care for patients and families in the Ottawa region and beyond. 

“After decades of inaction and underinvestment by previous governments, we are listening to the people of Ottawa and delivering the hospital that they deserve.” Ford said. “This investment will ensure The Ottawa Hospital is able to deliver the type of world class care that this growing region requires and will help build a more resilient health care system.”

In 2019, the Ontario government gave $9 million to support early planning for the new, multi-billion-dollar Civic campus. 

The Ottawa Hospital has expanded the scope of this redevelopment which is planned to include more than 100 additional beds, bringing the total number of new beds to over 300.

These beds, the province says, will help to expand services, including acute care and the development of a speciality rehabilitation centre and referral centre.  It aims to ensure patients get the care they need, when they need it, and that they can get care closer to home. 

The hospital is also in the midst of planning to include a “cutting-edge” trauma centre, a larger emergency department, an updated and expanded surgical suite, outpatient clinics and integrated research and education spaces to support the hospital’s teaching and research mandates. 

“Supporting The Ottawa Hospital’s new and expanded Civic campus is a vital part of our government’s plan to build a resilient health care system and end hallway health care in the Ottawa region,” Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott said. “This investment — one of the largest planning and design grants in Ontario’s history — will help patients and families access the care they need for generations to come.”

The province is working with the hospital on the next stage of the planning process: identifying programming and operational requirements and assessing how the project can further help address the health care needs of patients and families in the region. 

“Our community is one of the fastest growing in Ontario and in Canada,” Cameron Love, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, said in a statement. “As a hospital, we must be able to meet the needs of our patients today and in the years to come, so that we are ready to provide world-class care whenever they need us.”

Based on early planning, the new hospital is estimated to start construction in 2024, with timelines to be further refined as planning progresses. 

The Ottawa Hospital currently serves as one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals, and attends to 1.2 million people throughout Eastern Ontario across its three campuses.