'I hope they have a bed for mom': Town of Whitby launches campaign to pressure province on long-promised hospital
The Town of Whitby is launching a public awareness and letter-writing campaign to pressure the province to get moving on a long-promised hospital.
The previous provincial government first recommended a new acute care hospital for Durham Region in 2015.
In 2022, an independent panel identified a 50-acre parcel of land in Whitby, near Highways 412 and 407, as the preferred site for the regional health centre.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"For two years we have been patient, but we simply can't wait any longer," Mayor Elizabeth Roy told reporters Wednesday.
Roy is urging the Ford government to commit $3 million to allow planning and design work to begin, as well as commit to the Whitby location.
The town is spreading its message through billboards, ads in doctor's offices, on social media and in newspapers, and inviting residents to send notes to Premier Doug Ford through its website.
By 2051, the town says the population of Durham Region is expected to nearly double to 1.3 million. With a potential hospital build lasting a decade, Roy says the government needs to act now to add capacity to a healthcare system already struggling to keep up.
"(It's) new families having children. It's children who get sick. It's seniors who also are experiencing time and delay where they're sitting within their emergencies in the hallways before they can even get a bed."
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe agrees a Durham hospital is overdue but argues it should be hosted in his city, the only Durham municipality without a hospital.
"We recognize that Whitby was recommended through community consultation as the preferred site of the new Lakeridge Hospital," Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, writes in a statement.
"We will continue to work closely with Lakeridge Health and other partners on the next round of planning grants for this project to deliver more connected, convenient care in the Durham Region for years to come."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
NEW 'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.