New hospital to be located on land owned by University of Waterloo
CBC
The site of the new hospital for the region will be in the north end of Waterloo on land currently owned by the University of Waterloo.
The lands are north of Columbia Street, south of Bearinger Road and east of Westmount Road. It will be located near the David Johnston Research and Technology Park.
The announcement was made Monday by local officials and Premier Doug Ford.
Officials said the site for the new hospital was identified as the preferred location following a 10-month property review process.
"We are thrilled that the University of Waterloo will be the future home to Waterloo region's new hospital," Mark Fam, president of St. Mary's General Hospital, said in a media release.
"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."
Ron Gagnon, president and CEO of Grand River Hospital, said in the release that naming a site is "a major milestone" for the project.
"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," Gagnon said.
Students at the University of Waterloo will get a chance to use the hospital as a teaching tool and research hub, said president Vivek Goel.
For example, students from the architecture and engineering programs could be involved in the planning of the building, Goel explained. And it will be a chance to grow the pharmacy and optometry programs as well as the rehab science program, he said.
"We don't have a medical school but what we're looking at having is an innovation institute that works closely with the hospitals in taking new technologies and new ideas that come out of the university and applying them in the healthcare system," Goel said.
While speaking during a skilled trades funding announcement in Kitchener Monday morning, Ford said his government is investing in new hospital projects.
"Including, and this is one of the best, including for our new Waterloo region hospital and in fact, later today, I'm joining local officials to announce the new site of that hospital," Ford said.
Ford said Waterloo region is "growing at a rapid pace."