Mayor Steve Clarke is seeking an audience with the premier and the health minister in an effort to see a new Orillia hospital become a priority for the province.
At the direction of city council, Clarke recently wrote to Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott.
During a meeting in September, council supported, in principle, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital’s (OSMH) Stage 1 submission to the Ministry of Health.
“The urgency for the new build continues to mount, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Orillia and surrounding areas continue to grow in population, with much of Orillia’s population over the age of 70,” Clarke wrote. “It goes without saying, with an aging population comes increased health care needs. A new modernized hospital would align with the province’s new model for delivering health care and meet the growing patient care needs.”
Clarke said he has not yet received a response but expects one will come soon.
“We want the province to know there is, I believe, strong support for a new hospital from the community, but certainly from council,” he said.
He is hoping a meeting with Ford and Elliott would help him understand where the local project sits on the province’s radar.
“I’m sure, in their very diplomatic way, they’ll acknowledge and understand, but we want to know if there is a list of competing priorities in the province,” he said. “We hope they understand that it is a critical need.”
That need has been detailed by OSMH officials. In a recent presentation to council, it was noted much of the hospital’s infrastructure is “past capacity.” Flooding and roof leaks have become common.
“There’s a growing infrastructure deficit and increased maintenance costs on a monthly basis,” Clarke said. “It’s not a building that gets used just every once in a while.”
A new hospital isn’t expected to be operational for at least a decade, but the mayor wants to meet with Ford and Elliott soon, he said, because “it’s important to get our ducks in a row now so we’re not delaying that process further.
“Orillia is presenting a good, comprehensive case for enhancing health services and, to do that, we need to deliver ambulatory and acute care. To do that, we need a (new facility).”
