News
Waterloo Region planning for a new hospital to be built on University of Waterloo site
22 July 2024
Waterloo, ON (July 22, 2024) – In a historic milestone for healthcare in Waterloo Region, St. Mary’s General Hospital and Grand River Hospital are excited to announce their new hospital being planned on a future site that is part of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park (R+T Park) at the University of Waterloo.
The Hospitals and the University are partnering to plan development of land located west of Bearinger Road and Hagey Boulevard in Waterloo for the new, joint acute care hospital. The new state-of-the-art hospital, if approved by the Government for implementation, will bring more hospital beds and acute care capacity to the region, introduce new services, and bring more care closer to home for patients.
The future site was identified as the preferred location for the new hospital following a ten-month property review process, led by an independent Site Selection Panel.
Through this new partnership, the Hospitals and the University will continue to build on years of collaboration to bring education, innovation, and healthcare delivery closer together than ever before. Most recently, their work together through the Care Next Coalition brings local innovations, including those developed at the University, directly to patients at the Hospitals.
“We are thrilled that the University of Waterloo will be the future home to Waterloo Region’s new hospital,” says Mark Fam, President of St. Mary’s General Hospital. “Not only does the location make great sense in terms of patient accessibility, it also allows our organizations to deepen our relationship even further for the benefit of the communities we serve.”
“Together with the province, the Hospitals and the University of Waterloo have the opportunity to truly create a better health system for the Region and become an innovation campus of care,” says Ron Gagnon, President and CEO of Grand River Hospital. “This is a major milestone on our journey in planning for a new hospital and we couldn’t have a better partner than the University of Waterloo.”
The Hospitals are now working with the University of Waterloo to determine how the land will be developed to house the future hospital. The planning process for the new hospital will take approximately five years, followed by five years of construction. The new hospital is expected to open by 2034.
“Today’s announcement means more than a new state-of-the-art hospital in our region, it is a deepening of an already strong collaboration between our University and health institutions across the Region,” said Vivek Goel, President of the University of Waterloo.
“It’s yet another example of empowering students, faculty, and the community to contribute to a healthier Region through community-focused, cutting-edge research and experiential learning opportunities.”
“Our government is making record investments in our hospital infrastructure, expanding hospital capacity with shovels in the ground for over 50 new hospital projects across the province,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The new hospital site in Waterloo will support the region’s fast-growing community, ensure people can access world-class, convenient care for years to come.”
“The new site for the Waterloo Region hospital at the University of Waterloo will foster innovation, enhance research and better connect the growing region to convenient care closer to home,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Right across the province, our government is investing more than $50 billion to support more than 50 major hospital projects. When it comes to your health, we’re building a healthcare system that people across Ontario can count on.”
In April, the Hospitals’ Boards announced their goal of joining together through a voluntary merger, creating a single organization to oversee current Hospital sites, services and ongoing capital redevelopment projects.
Selecting a site for the new acute care hospital is an important milestone for the project and a necessary next step towards the integration of the two Hospital organizations. The new hospital will be one of three campuses operated by the new joint Hospital organization, including the existing Kitchener-Waterloo and Freeport Campuses, currently part of Grand River. Plans call for these two sites to be renewed and repurposed as part of the development proposal.
The future of the St. Mary’s site will be determined by the St. Joseph’s Health System through consultation with patients, community members, municipal planning bodies, and health care partners, including the KW4 Ontario Health Team. The Hospital location will remain operational until the new hospital opens.
For more information and to stay up to date on the Hospitals’ redevelopment projects, visit futureofcaretogether.ca.
Media Contacts
Victoria Ott
Integrated Director, Strategic Engagement
Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital
Victoria.Ott@grhosp.on.ca
519-588-4687
Rebecca Elming
Director, Media Relations and Issues Management
University of Waterloo
relming@uwaterloo.ca
647-459-8313
About Building the Future of Care Together
Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital have been partners for more than 40 years, sharing services such as labs, one health information system, pharmacy, a 690-person medical staff, and leadership in KW4 OHT.
Between Grand River and St. Mary’s, the communities have access to regional programs including: cardiac, cancer, chest, ophthalmology, renal, and stroke. Annually, the Hospitals accommodate nearly 350,000 patient visits, over 100,000 emergency department visits, more than 30,000 surgical procedures, and nearly 4,500 births. Together, Grand River and St. Mary’s provide 82% of patient care services across Waterloo Region.
The Hospitals are supported by their foundation partners – the Grand River Hospital Foundation and St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation – in Building the Future of Care Together.
Stay connected and sign-up to receive updates and learn more about the project at futureofcaretogether.ca.
About St. Mary’s General Hospital
Located in the heart of Kitchener, St. Mary’s General Hospital is home to the Regional Cardiac Centre, Regional Chest Program, and Regional Eye Program. As globally recognized leaders in our field for world-class, innovative healthcare, our vision of
“Inspiring Excellence. Healthier Together” is not just about our approach to patient-centred care, it’s also about our commitment to our staff.
For a century, St. Mary’s has provided compassionate care to the communities of Waterloo-Wellington, and beyond, serving over 1.4 individuals every year. We are the second-largest acute care hospital in the St. Joseph’s Health System with a team of over 2,000 staff, physicians and volunteers dedicated to ensuring patients receive the highest-quality care possible.
Learn more about Our Mission, Values and History and the Future of Care at SMGH.ca.
About Grand River Hospital
Grand River Hospital is building a world-class health system for all in the communities we serve. One of Ontario’s largest community hospitals, we’re delivering exceptional, patient-focused quality care by a team of dedicated healthcare workers and volunteers. Our dedicated team of staff members, medical staff, learners, and volunteers are committed to delivering an exceptional healthcare experience with compassion.
The largest and most comprehensive community hospital in our region, Grand River serves as the hub for cancer treatment, childbirth, pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, mental health, clinical research, kidney and dialysis treatments, and stroke rehabilitation. It also houses bustling emergency, critical, and long-term care facilities. It’s safe to assume nearly everyone in our communities will walk through the doors of our Hospital at some point in their lives.
At Grand River Hospital, we’re committed to transforming healthcare delivery, providing an exceptional experience for all and working collaboratively to improve the health of our communities. Our vision is a world-class health system supporting healthier lives. Learn more at GrandRiverHospital.ca.
About the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo is a leading global innovation hub that drives economic and social prosperity for Canada and the world. We are home to a renowned talent pipeline,
game-changing research and technology, and unmatched entrepreneurial culture, that together create solutions to tackle today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
A strategic integration of research and teaching excellence, the world’s largest co-operative education program, entrepreneurship-intensive programs, and creator-owned IP, has resulted in extensive industry collaboration, the generation of thousands of commercial and social enterprises, and a dynamic learning experience for more than 41,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Find out more at uwaterloo.ca.