Wallaceburg hospital redevelopment on track for 2026 completion: CKHA

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance officials are feeling good about how things are progressing with a $41 million submission to the Ontario government to redevelop the Wallaceburg hospital.

“We’re beginning to have conversations with the government about the submission that we put in to them,” CKHA board chair Alan Wildeman told local media during a regular update April 3.

When it was announced a year ago the Wallaceburg hospital was part of the provincial government’s budget of $40 billion to re-invest in 50 hospitals across Ontario, the initial cost for local redevelopment was estimated at $25 million. However, it also was stated at the time the project would be re-costed, particularly due to rising construction costs, and submitted to the province

CKHA president and CEO, Lori Marshall said a request recently was received that included questions from the capital branch of the government regarding the CKHA’s submission from December.

“We are in the process of working with our architects and with the design consultants to provide responses to those questions,” she said.

“There was nothing of concern or that requires a great deal of rework (for the submission),” Marshall said.

She added it is believed the answers will be provided in the next few weeks.

Wildeman said there is always some back and forth and clarifications sought in any kind of capital submission like this to the province.

“This is not an unusual step that is happening right now,” he said.

As for the project timeline, Marshall said, “at this stage, we would still anticipate shovels in the ground in late 2024 with construction being completed late 2026.”

The plan is to construct a new building to house the emergency department and medical beds. The construction also will include new diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation areas.

The province already has contributed $7.3 million for the construction of a new power plant for the hospital.

Marshall said the community is responsible for coming up with $4.1 million or 10 per cent of the construction cost.

“In addition to that, we’re responsible for 100 per cent of equipment, furnishings and fixtures,” she said.

The equipment and furniture is estimated to cost $4.8 million for a total of $8.9 million that must come from the community.

Wildeman said the board is grateful for the $4.5 million the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is providing to the project.

“That was a very important step,” he said.