CGMH Receives Support from the Ontario Government for Hospital Redevelopment
August 10, 2021
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is excited to be receiving more than $15 million in funding from the Ontario government to support the hospital's redevelopment. This funding will be used to support planning the renewal and expansion of the hospital's infrastructure to meet the growing health service needs of patients and families in the South Georgian Bay area.
"We are very pleased to receive approval from the Capital Branch of the Ministry of Health for our Stage 1 submission, and to officially move to Stage 2 of the five-stage process. CGMH and our community are excited to commence engaging in Stage 2 of the process. This announcement represents a significant milestone regarding our hospital redevelopment project," said Norah Holder, CGMH President & CEO.
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital has been serving a growing community of 60,000 permanent residents, 30,000 weekenders and 3.5 million annual visitors with limited upgrades. As part of the hospital redevelopment project CGMH's aging infrastructure will be improved through a mix of new construction and additional renovations. The redevelopment project will ensure that CGMH can continue to deliver high-quality health care to the South Georgian Bay community.
The project will include:
- the expansion of key services, including intensive care, emergency, diagnostic imaging, and the operating suite,
- inclusion of new rehabilitation beds to provide care closer to home and the community,
- additional inpatient capacity to allow the hospital to serve more patients and families; and
- renovations to upgrade the existing facility to ensure a comfortable environment for patients to receive care.
- Further planning work will confirm priority programs for the hospital. Timelines for project implementation and construction will be determined once planning has been completed.
"After years of waiting patients and their families can finally look forward to a new and improved Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, ensuring the hospital's dedicated staff and frontline health care workers can continue delivering high-quality care in the community," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "By investing in major hospital infrastructure, our government is furthering our commitment to build a modern, connected health care system and put an end to hallway health care for all Ontarians."
In addition, the Ontario government is taking further action to support Collingwood General Marine Hospital by increasing the hospital's operating funding for the third straight year. Collingwood General and Marine Hospital will receive over $1.9 million in additional funding starting this year. This represents an increase of 4.2 per cent to the funding received in 2020/21.
April 9, 2021
CGMH listed in the provincial budget and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) P3 Market Update
CGMH is very pleased to be listed within the provincial budget and again within yesterday's Infrastructure Ontario (IO) P3 Market Update. At this time, it is too early to speculate on details and we are eagerly anticipating a letter from the Ministry of Health with additional details, including next steps and clarification of the scope of our project. We expect to receive more details about what this announcement means for the South Georgian Bay region, but today, the hospital's focus is on wave 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic, inclusive of the direction to ramp down non-elective surgeries/procedures, and managing the changing priorities issued under the provinces emergency order.
December 2020
CGMH and supporting municipalities continue to move forward on a united front
A brief update on our journey in collaboration with the mayors of the Town of Collingwood, Clearview Township, Grey Highlands and Wasaga Beach.
February 4, 2020
Hospital aims for sustainability while it waits for new building
At the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, Innovation continues to thrive, as the hospital awaits Ministry of Health approval for its Stage 1 submission and to move forward with Stage 2.
Hospital moves forward with Innovative Sustainability Initiatives While awaiting Stage 1 Approval
February 4, 2020
At the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, Innovation continues to thrive, as the hospital awaits Ministry of Health approval for its Stage 1 submission and to move forward with Stage 2.
"We are planning a hospital for the future, and at the same time need to sustain our current facility's infrastructure here for the next 8 years or so. Over the past year we have implemented 5 specialty self-sanitizing patient rooms for greater infection prevention and control measures, and have recently provided patients greater food choices through the implementation of Freshflex, which provides nutritious meals to patients, prepared fresh on-site, thereby further enhancing the patient experience. We continue to maintain our current facility today through elevator upgrades and environmental sustainability features, such as switching to LED lights, while our new hospital will be built to the highest standards," says Norah Holder, CGMH President and CEO. "However, while we are doing all that we can within our current footprint, a new build is necessary in order to provide much needed programs and services well in to the future."
CGMH is very grateful for the tremendous support it continues to receive from all four of its surrounding municipalities and mayors, for its redevelopment project. In addition, MPP Jim Wilson remains a strong and valued advocate of the redevelopment project.
"I am grateful for the ongoing generous and continued public support. At this time I would like to provide a very sincere thank you to everyone engaged such a momentous journey," says Holder, adding that "our South Georgian Bay community is united and this is an essential success factor."
The South Georgian Bay region continues to grow at an exponential rate, and is the 12th fastest growing sub-region in Ontario, with Collingwood and Wasaga Beach being the main drivers of this growth. There's been a significant increase in both young families and retirees to this very desirable region.
The hospital's Stage 1 submission, submitted to the Ministry of Health in September 2016, consists of a Master Plan and Master Program, which outlines the future programs and services for a rapidly growing region. Following our Stage 1 submission, the hospital received a few rounds of comments to respond to from the Ministry of Health. "I am pleased to report the comment logs are closed and our Stage 1 submission is complete," says Holder. The hospital is currently waiting for approval of our Stage 1 submission to proceed to Stage 2. We remain optimistic and are appreciative of the process to date.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to sustain health care in South Georgian Bay, well into the future. During this time of health care transformation, the hospital's redevelopment project provides a remarkable opportunity for the hospital and valued partners to move forward together in novel ways.
A hospital redevelopment is a shared journey. "CGMH understands the journey to date seems long and we appreciate the patience of our community," says Holder. Most importantly, a hospital redevelopment is a marathon and not a sprint.
You can view the February 2020 video address from CGMH President and CEO Norah Holder here.
CGMH Receives Approval to Proceed with Hospital Redevelopment
April 12, 2019
Contained within Ontario's Provincial Budget yesterday, was news that the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital has been given the green light to proceed with Hospital Redevelopment.
"This is a very exciting day for the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and the entire South Georgian Bay community! A new hospital for our growing region of 60 000 permanent residents, 30 000 weekenders and approximately 3.5 million annual visitors, is greatly needed. We appreciate the province's support and investment in the hospital's redevelopment and our community, as we continue to provide outstanding care - for life," says CGMH President and CEO, Norah Holder.
We continue to work with the Capital Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and our five surrounding municipalities, in a collaborative and productive manner. The project still needs to follow the MOHLTC's five stage capital planning process, which will involve reviews and future approvals from the Ministry and government. Although it's still a long road ahead and it's anticipated that a new build is likely still 8 years away, we have a good momentum going!
"This is great news for our community and I am so proud of the hard work and focus our team has maintained over the past few years. We continue to advance community health through compassionate, innovative and collaborative care for our community," says Chief of Staff, Dr. Michael Lisi.
The hospital can now commence preparations for a capital redevelopment campaign. Jory Pritchard-Kerr, Executive Director of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Foundation also notes, "we are very enthusiastic about the announcement which brings with it a commitment to raise $80 million as the local share of the project. A fundraising campaign of this magnitude has never been attempted in South Georgian Bay and will require a great deal of preparation before launching, but we are excited for the opportunity that lies ahead."
CGMH Receives up to $500 000 in Planning Grant Funding
February 13, 2018
On February 12, 2018, Ann Hoggarth, MPP for Barrie, was at Stevenson Memorial Hospital to announce that the province is providing grants of up to $500,000 each to Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) and Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH), to help plan for the proposed redevelopment and expansion of each hospital.
As outlined in MPP Hoggarth's press release, for CGMH this is the proposed redevelopment of the entire facility to meet the health service needs for residents in the area.
CGMH President and CEO, Norah Holder, thanked MPP Ann Hoggarth and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, noting, "we are very grateful to receive this portion of planning grant funding, as we continue along our redevelopment journey, seeking a new facility to meet the needs of a quickly expanding South Georgian Bay region."
MPP Jim Wilson was also present at the event and noted that he is appreciative the provincial government has finally responded to his numerous requests to release planning grant funding for expansion projects in Collingwood and Alliston, but says there still is a lot of work to do. "This is a good start and a positive step. The hospitals in Collingwood and Alliston each have spent more than $1.2 million of their own money on redevelopment planning," said Wilson. "I appreciate the $500,000 for each hospital announced today, but would like to remind the government there is a long way to go through the five stages of planning, which will cost up to $12 million."
As noted in the press release, planning grants provide funding for early planning stages only - a planning grant does not mean approval to build. Additionally, a planning grant provides resources for hospitals to work with their Local Health Integration Network and the province to ensure a project is of appropriate scope and scale. The results of planning inform more sustainable, fiscal planning for communities.
CGMH began its redevelopment journey approximately three years ago and submitted its Stage 1 submission, Master Plan/Master Program, approximately 18 months ago. "We now look forward to receiving approval of our Stage 1 submission and moving to Stage 2 of the five stage process," says Holder.
CGMH meets positive Redevelopment Milestones
May 19, 2017
The Hospital Redevelopment project met some positive key milestones this week, as CGMH received the first set of comments back from the Capital Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), on both its Stage 1 A and B, Master Program/Master Plan, submitted September 30, 2016.
"This is very encouraging news for CGMH, as we now have the opportunity to put the polishing touches on the Master Program/Master Plan, and clarify any additional questions the Capital Branch has," says Thom Paterson, CGMH Board Chair.
The hospital, along with its Stage 1 Planning Consultants, will meet with the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network and the Capital Branch of the MOHLTC in the coming weeks. The hospital aims to have the updated submission back to the MOHLTC by early fall 2017.
While the hospital did not receive a planning grant in the 2017 Capital Budget, it has been assured it's on the 'overall list' and the MOHLTC is very supportive of this project moving forward in the future.
"It's a very competitive process, with lots of hospital's all vying for Capital funds at the same time. We continue to gain momentum and have strong community support. We are on a very strong path forward, which will continue with the pre-work for Stage 2," says Guy Chartrand, President and CEO.
CGMH is now working on planning applications for its preferred Poplar Sideroad site, which was deferred in December 2016 to enable further dialogue with the Town of Collingwood. The hospital has filed a formal application for pre-consultation and will meet with the Town of Collingwood, County of Simcoe and other approval authorities/agencies in the coming weeks.
CGMH Redevelopment Project Makes Positive Strides
April 28, 2017
Committed to a plan and action, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) and the Town of Collingwood have made some positive strides on the redevelopment front over the past month.
On April 5, 2017 a joint planning meeting occurred between members of the Hospital's Facilities Planning Committee and senior Town of Collingwood and County of Simcoe staff members. It is anticipated additional meetings of this type will continue with the right players at the table.
"At the meeting we had a great discussion on process and about the hospital being a 'public use' within the meaning of the Town of Collingwood's Official Plan, and therefore being permissible in all land use designations," says David Finbow, Chair of the Facilities Planning Committee.
With respect to next steps, CGMH has now re-commenced the process of perfecting its planning applications for its preferred Poplar Sideroad site, which was deferred in December 2016 to enable further dialogue with the Town of Collingwood. This process will take several weeks to complete so that it can be considered by the Town in an expeditious manner. It is the first step in ensuring that the Poplar Sideroad site can be included as a viable site in the Hospital's Stage 2 submission to the MoHLTC.
The Poplar Sideroad site is one of the three options submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MoHLTC), as part of CGMH's Stage 1 Submission on September 30, 2016, along with the current site and the expanded current site.
In the meantime, the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital continues to live by its mission of being a dedicated team committed to your health and our community. "We will continue to provide top notch patient care, while continually looking for innovative approaches to deal with the many challenges the hospital faces in an aging facility," says Guy Chartrand, CGMH President and CEO.
On another positive front, the Hospital and Foundation were very pleased by the April 25 commitment by the County of Simcoe, as they continue to invest $45 million over the next 15 years into Hospital Capital projects. Collingwood G&M Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital are at the forefront of the receiving end, as they continue to move their redevelopment projects forward.
MPP Jim Wilson organizes petition in support of CGMH Redevelopment
April 24, 2017
The Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) is fortunate to benefit from the support of MPP Jim Wilson with the presentation of a resolution to the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park on June 1, 2017 (originally scheduled for May 18, 2017). The resolution asks the government to approve planning grants requested by CGMH and Alliston's Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH), providing the much needed funding to allow both hospitals to continue the detailed planning required for their much needed redevelopment projects.
"We would like to recognize MPP Jim Wilson for his support of our Hospital's redevelopment project and for his resolution, which requests the approval of our planning grants and the necessary funds to accompany the five-stage Capital Planning process," said Guy Chartrand, CGMH President and CEO. "CGMH is working towards the next phase of its redevelopment project (Stage 2), which requires professional consultants to undertake the required planning.
On Friday, March 24, Jim Wilson announced his plan to ask the government to approve planning grants for both CGMH and SMH, so that the hospitals can continue along their redevelopment journeys.
In support of the CGMH redevelopment, Mr. Wilson circulated a petition for local residents to sign.
The Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Foundation has organized two buses to bring supporters to Queen's Park on June 1 (
Hospital pleased to proceed with Redevelopment plans on a united front
December 12, 2016
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) is pleased that the Deloitte Due Diligence review, as requested by the Town of Collingwood, confirmed that an appropriate level of analysis has been completed to provide the hospital with viable development options to proceed with a successful redevelopment.
"Overall, we found the Report to be supportive and positive," says Board Chair, Thom Paterson.
CGMH spent the past 18 months and $1.2 million completing a comprehensive review, which resulted in a recommendation of a facility and site that best serves our region.
As Gloria Kain, Senior Health Advisor for Deloitte addressed Collingwood Council she noted, "the hospital went through a very thorough and well thought out process." She commented that the road to redevelopment is long, the process is complex and that collaboration is key between the hospital and all of its regional partners. It was also noted that there's a strong passion from all those involved to proceed with a redeveloped hospital. Additionally, she noted that at the end of the day the final decision rests with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC).
"It is important to recognize that CGMH's Stage 1 Submission, if supported by the MOHLTC, will lead to additional studies (Stage 2 & 3) to further scope, refine and develop the site viability, costing, revenue sources and address municipal planning matters," says Hospital President and CEO, Guy Chartrand.
"We met the project criteria for the Stage 1 submission, but more precise details will unfold, as the redevelopment project continues." While the hospital submitted all three site options with its Stage 1 A/B proposal, in the end, the MOHLTC will make the final decision based on an extensive review conducted by qualified experts. CGMH looks forward to the Ministry's comments and final decision
CGMH receives support from the NSM LHIN on Stage 1A of the Redevelopment submission
CGMH receives support from the NSM LHIN on Stage 1A of the Redevelopment submission
December 1, 2016
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital received the green light from
the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM LHIN) this week,
as they endorsed the hospital's Stage 1A - Master Program portion of the
redevelopment submission. The Master Program defines the clinical programs and
services contained in a renovated or redeveloped facility.
"We are very pleased by this prompt response from the NSM LHIN and their
support of the hospital's model of care and its continued provision of high
quality services in the South Georgian Bay region," says Thom Paterson, Board
Chair.
The entire Stage 1A/B Master Program/Master Plan was submitted to the
Ministry of Health and Long-Term (MOHLTC) Care on September 30, 2016.
According to President and CEO, Guy Chartrand, "in order to maintain the
momentum we have gained to date, we are now laying the groundwork for our Stage
2 proposal. We will continue to engage all of our municipal partners, as
alignment remains a key factor."
For the most up-to-date redevelopment news, the public is encouraged to
tune into the redevelopment portal on the main page of the hospital's website
at: cgmh.on.ca/redevelopment.
G&M Hospital submits complete Stage 1 A/B - Master Program/Master Plan
October 4, 2016
After two years of hard work and commitment by a team of dedicated individuals, the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital's (CGMH) complete Stage 1 A/B - Master Program/Master Plan was submitted to the Health Capital Investment Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM LHIN) on Friday, September 30, 2016, following Board approval on Thursday, September 29, 2016.
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I feel a great sense of accomplishment, as the submission moves forward to the Ministry. A great deal of work has been accomplished to date and while we all know it's a long journey, the Board is committed and deeply invested in this process, and looks forward to the possibility of one day placing a shovel in the ground," says Thom Paterson, CGMH Board Chair.
The submission follows motions of support for the Stage 1 A/B - Master Program/Master Plan application from each of the four municipalities the hospital services in the south Georgian Bay community of Collingwood, Clearview Township, the Blue Mountains and Wasaga Beach.
"We felt it was extremely important to meet the September 30 deadline for submission in order to get our redevelopment project in the queue for the 2017/18 Provincial budget, however the decision to proceed to Stage Two is a review of the entire process to date, including the MOH's impression of municipal alignment within our south Georgian Bay community. If they sense conflict, it could impact our submission," says Guy Chartrand, CGMH President and CEO.
The complete Stage 1 A/B - Master Program/Master Plan (a 780 page document) is available upon request by emailing redevelopment@cgmh.on.ca, or members of the public are welcome to view a printed copy at the hospital by calling to pre-arrange an appointment at 705-445-2550 ext. 8244.
Your Future Hospital
Fall 2014 to Fall 2016
CGMH's journey to build 'Your Future Hospital' began in the fall of 2014 when the Board approved a motion to move forward with the Stage 1 Master Plan/Program.
Looking to the future, CGMH's Board of Trustees are fully committed to find a solution to its current situation, with its 2013 - 2017 Strategic Plan identifying " Our Hospital" as one of its five strategic directions.
There has been strong progress to date, as the hospital completed the first critical step in redevelopment planning by submitting a capital pre-proposal in 2010. The pre-proposal was updated and resubmitted in the fall of 2015, receiving support from the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM LHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC).
RPG and Stantec Consulting Ltd. were hired in February 2015 and work got underway quickly. Ten Planning Teams were formed, consisting of more than 100 staff and physicians, who have spent the past year working diligently on the components for the hospital's Stage 1a - Master Program. The Master Program will focus on how programs and services will change in the future (at 5, 10, 20 years), while the Master Plan identifies the physical space needed in the future (at 25 and 50 years), where and how services will be located, and describes the different stages of development.
The spring and early summer of 2015 saw two visioning days for community and healthcare partners, local municipalities, staff and physicians, while public community consultation occurred in the four communities the hospital services - Collingwood, Clearview, The Town of Blue Mountains and Wasaga Beach, in the fall of 2014, and spring & fall of 2015. In May and June of 2016, four redevelopment town halls took place in each of the municipalities the hospital services. At this time the public had an opportunity to hear about the process and progress to date, and provide their feedback.
"We continue to explore the opportunity of a Health Campus and building the case for a campus of care for our community, which may take the form of a new hospital and/or a major expansion. At the present time all options are on the table when it comes to the future location of the hospital and our focus remains on creating a great process, which ultimately equals great results," says Chartrand.
At the June 23, 2016 Board of Trustees meeting, the Board received a recommendation from the Facilities Planning Committee as to the preferred location for a new hospital facility - the Poplar Sideroad site.
At a September 6, 2016 meeting with all four municipalities the following was achieved: G&M Hospital hosts joint Mayor's Forum - Unanimous alignment sought and received.
At the September 29, 2016 Board meeting the Board of Trustees approved the preferred location and the entire Stage 1 A/B proposal.
On September 30, 2016 CGMH submitted it's entire Stage 1 A/B proposal to the NSM LHIN and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
While CGMH did identify a preferred redevelopment solution, it is important to remember that it's ultimately up to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MoHLTC) to make a final determination, as to whether the redevelopment of CGMH will proceed and what form, including location, it will take.
All three development options: current site, current site with adjacent properties and a preferred option were submitted to the MOHLTC as part of the proposal.
Pending Ministry approval, CGMH will move to Stage 2 of the planning process.
Our Hospital Foundation is planning for a redevelopment campaign in the next couple of years, but the magnitude of the campaign has not yet been determined. A lot depends on whether the MOHLTC approves a redevelopment or a new build.
CGMH has also been very fortunate to receive the support and engagement it has on its journey:
- November 2014: Met with Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health
- June 2015: Tour with Anne Barszczewski, Capital Planning Branch at CGMH
- June 2015: Meeting with OHA's Anthony Dale at CGMH
- September 2015: Tour with Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Bob Bell at CGMH
- February 2016: Tour with MPP Jeff Yurek at CGMH
- April 2016: Tour with Patrick Brown
- October 2016 - Tour with Capital Branch of the MOHLTC and members of the NSM LHIN
Ongoing meetings with local municipalities and mayors, MPP Jim Wilson and MP Kellie Leitch, along with various community and healthcare partners, from all our catchment areas, continue on a regular basis.