Province says it will rebuild West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby

The province says it will build a new hospital in Grimsby, and provide $8.5 million in emergency upgrades in the meantime.

The heart of Grimsby is here.- Sam Oosterhoff, Niagara West PC MPP

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Wednesday. He saidthe province will put $500,000 toward an early plan to rebuild the hospital, which is known locally for its surgical and obstetrics units. And when a new hospital is built, the province will help pay for it.

"We're going to build you the hospital you need," Ford said.

"You've got the best front line health care staff the nurses, the doctors, the support workers here in Niagara. They are all fantastic. But you need a facility that helps you do your job the best you can."

Ford said thatsurgical and obstetric services won't be removed from the hospital, as feared by people living in the area,for more thantwo years startingin the new year.

The Ontario PC government also said they would pay for $8.5 million worth of "immediate infrastructure improvements" while the province and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) doearly planning for the new hospital.

Those upgrades are "critically important," said Rob MacIsaac, president of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS). The hospital needs about $8.6 million to rebuildsurgical facilities to meet standards set out by Accreditation Canada.

The hospital needs electrical upgrades, as well as better systems for air handling, communications, and fire alarms, among other improvements.

"There are significant infrastructure systems here at risk of critical failure," MacIsaac said.

HHSasked the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care for moneyin early November, saying the hospital needed renovations right away "to maintain patient safety."

Ford's announcement brought sighs of relief in the community, which worried it would lose its hospital. Signs that read "Save &Rebuild"line the town's streets. Hamilton city councillorsfor Winona, Glanbrook and Stoney Creek have also spoken out about the hospital's importance.

Niagara West MPPSam Oosterhoffsays he hears dailyfrom people worried about the hospital's future.

"The heart of Grimsby is here," he said."Iwas born here myself.So many thousands of babies have been born here. People come here for their needs, whether it's a broken wrists or diabetes or X-rays. This is really the heart of not only Grimsby but the broader Niagara region."

Ford didn't elaborate on a timeline, but Oosterhoff said the province wants "shovels in the ground" by 2022. "This is going to happen on our watch," he said.

"Christmas came early," Oosterhoff said. "I'm incredibly happy."