Ontario Government Building New Hospital for South Georgian Bay! 

L-R: CGMH Board Chair Barry Goodwin, Town of Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, CGMH President & CEO
Michael Lacroix, Deputy Premier and Minster of Health Sylvia Jones, Simcoe—Grey MPP Brian Saunderson celebrate
today’s announcement of a new hospital for South Georgian Bay.

COLLINGWOOD, ON – December 12, 2024 Today, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones visited Collingwood to announce the approval of CGMH’s early planning submission for a new hospital and to confirm that the new state-of-the-art facility will be built on Poplar Sideroad. As part of this announcement, CGMH will receive additional funding to support the next planning stage of hospital development. The Ontario government is investing up to $95.5 million to support the
continued planning for a new Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH), connecting more people and
families in South Georgian Bay to more convenient, high-quality care, close to home.

This new funding is in addition to the over $15.5 million investment previously committed by the Ontario government to support early planning for CGMH’s project.

“Our government is making historic investments in Ontario’s hospitals to ensure people of all ages can access the
care they need, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Our
investment to help build a new and improved Collingwood General and Marine Hospital will allow people and
families in Collingwood and across South Georgian Bay to have better access to high-quality care in the community,
for generations to come.”

“Delivering world-class healthcare to all Ontarians across our great Province is a top priority for our government,”
said Simcoe—Grey MPP Brian Saunderson. “This historic investment in the community of Collingwood and South
Georgian Bay will make a much needed state-of-the-art hospital a reality that will transform healthcare for
generations of families from the birth of a child to palliative care and everything in between.”

Modern Healthcare for a Growing Region
The new hospital will be designed to meet the unique needs of South Georgian Bay’s rapidly growing population.
Once opened, the new hospital will include:

• Increased capacity, including up to 132 new beds with 98 total inpatient beds and an additional 34 beds to
  meet the community’s future needs

• A new inpatient rehabilitation program and expansion of CGMH’s medical and surgical bed capacity
• Expanded access to key services including emergency medicine, intensive care, diagnostic imaging and
  surgical services
• A state-of-the-art learning centre, with a focus on simulation training and inter-professional learning

“As our region grows, so too must our healthcare infrastructure,” said Barry Goodwin, Chair, CGMH Board of
Directors. “This announcement brings us closer to a hospital that meets the evolving needs of our community and
supports our vision of outstanding care for life.”

Goodwin also acknowledged the efforts of the Hospital Development Committee, the Hospital and Foundation
Boards of Directors, municipal and provincial representatives, and hospital leadership, frontline staff and volunteers
for the hard work and advocacy that helped CGMH reach this important achievement.

CGMH President and CEO, Michael Lacroix, remarked on this update and what it signals for the community. “Today’s
announcement marks a transformative milestone for Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and the South
Georgian Bay community. Our fast-growing region needs a modern hospital facility to match the outstanding care
our teams deliver today,” said Lacroix. “This announcement represents a pivotal step toward a new state-of-the-art
hospital, one that will better meet the needs of our vibrant and growing community. We’re deeply grateful to the
provincial government for their ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of South Georgian Bay, ensuring a
stronger, healthier future for our region.”

Next Steps
With this announcement, CGMH enters Stage 2 (detailed planning) of the Ministry of Health’s capital planning
process. This next stage transforms the project from concept to actionable design, where the physical layout of the
early planning stage is realized in preliminary designs that will guide future construction of the new hospital.
Today’s announcement, together with the commitment of land by a generous donor, enables CGMH to take the
next steps required to finalize the donation and transfer of a 32-acre site on Poplar Sideroad. This site will allow for
future growth and expansion of CGMH over the next several decades.

While the hospital focuses on detailed planning for the new hospital, the CGMH Foundation will be working hard to
ensure that the hospital has the critical resources and advanced technology when its doors open. Brad Miller, Chair
of the CGMH Foundation Board of Directors, emphasized the community’s role in bringing the new hospital to life.

“We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to drastically impact the delivery of healthcare in South Georgian Bay and
it is vital that we come together to provide our healthcare professionals the space, tools, and flexibility they need to
serve our growing population,” said Miller. “We are a community that both believes in and invests in our hospital
and there is no better way to help South Georgian Bay flourish than by providing the very best care within a facility
designed and built for our growing needs.”

The project remains on schedule, with construction anticipated to begin in fall 2028 and the new hospital set to
open as early as 2033.

To stay informed about CGMH’s transformative journey, visit yourfuturehospital.com and subscribe to CGMH’s
email updates.

Watch the full announcement here.