The Ontario government announced in last month’s budget that it would begin the process for the construction of a new Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) by providing OSMH with a capital planning grant in the 2025 Budget.

The new facility will connect more families in Orillia and the surrounding communities to more convenient, high-quality care close to home.

“Our government’s nearly $60 billion plan to build and upgrade more than 50 hospitals is delivering on our commitment to provide the people of Ontario with high-quality health care close to home,” said Premier Doug Ford. “This announcement is a major step toward delivering a new, state-of-the-art Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital that will be transformational for the people of Orillia and across Simcoe County.”

The $3-million planning grant will facilitate the next phase of planning to build a new hospital with more bedded and care capacity for patients. A new acute care hospital will increase critical care resources, the number of ICU beds and inpatient beds.

“This is an incredible milestone in building a new, modern hospital for the people of Orillia and surrounding areas,” said hospital president and CEO Carmine Stumpo. “We look forward to the next steps in planning as we continue to transform care for the communities we serve.”

The government’s investment will support early planning for the redevelopment of Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. Since the provincial announcement, the hospital has agreed to terms with Lakehead University to explore the construction of a new hospital on the university’s Orillia campus.

The hospital is now working with the university to determine how the land could be developed to house the new hospital.

“Lakehead University is committed to working with the communities we serve to help shape a brighter future through strengthened services and opportunities that open doors for students and future generations to thrive,” said Dr. Gillian Siddall, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University.

Creating a larger, state-of-the-art facility will allow OSMH to expand programs and services, ensuring it can continue to meet the needs of the community for years to come.

Once opened, the new hospital would include:

• Modern and improved infrastructure to support increased patient volumes, capacity and programs
• Expanded access to core programs and services including critical care services and inpatient beds
• Increased capacity to meet the community’s future needs and allow more people to connect to care sooner
• Enhanced infection prevention and control measures to ensure the health and safety of all patients.

As a next step, the Ministry of Health is working with Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital to complete early planning for this project, including determining bed numbers and square footage. Once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded, a construction schedule will be confirmed.

OSMH currently offers 213 beds and provides a range of health services and community programs to more than 440,000 residents across Orillia, Severn, Oro-Medonte, Ramara and Chippewas of Rama First Nation.