Construction crews have raised the final structural beam at the South Niagara Hospital.

Premier Doug Ford was among those on hand to celebrate the milestone on February 25. The Premier signed the final beam before it was hoisted into place.

“With more than 150 additional beds, a 24/7 emergency department and experts across the spectrum of care needs, the South Niagara Hospital will provide convenient, world-class health care to residents and Niagara Falls and across the region,” Ford said.

The province’s $3.2-billion investment is supporting the construction of the new 12 storey, 1.3-million-square-foot South Niagara Hospital, which will include consolidated and expanded acute care services, updated infrastructure with high-tech facilities and ensure increased connected care in the region.

Once completed in summer 2028, the new facility will include:

• 469 beds, which is 156 more beds than the combined total number of beds in Niagara Health’s Port Colborne, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls campuses,
• a 24/7 emergency department,
• expanded diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic services,
• ambulatory services and complex continuing care inpatient services, and
• improved infection prevention and control measures.

“Today’s milestone brings the province one step closer to delivering on its goal to connect more families in the Niagara Region, to convenient, high-quality care close to home,” said Health Minister Sylvia Jones.

The new hospital will support Niagara Health to continue to deliver a full range of acute care hospital services to the 450,000 residents across the Niagara Region. This includes operating one of Ontario’s busiest emergency departments and providing specialized cancer, cardiac, kidney and acute care.