Construction has officially begun on a $174-million expansion of Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, a project meant to bring hospital capacity in line with the fast-growing communities of South Simcoe.
Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones joined hospital staff, foundation representatives and local officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the project, BarrieToday reported.
The expansion is set to triple the size of the hospital's emergency department, which was originally built in 1964 to handle roughly 7,000 visits a year but now sees about 35,000 annually, according to hospital staff.
The roughly 13,666-square-metre addition will wrap around the existing building at 200 Fletcher Cres. and is expected to be complete by late 2028.
What the expansion includes
Plans call for inpatient bed capacity to grow from 38 to 47, with nine new private rooms, along with two new operating rooms, a new birthing unit, an expanded pharmacy, and larger laboratory and diagnostic imaging space including a new MRI suite. Enhanced device processing, more room for support operations and added material management space are also part of the design.
The building is intended to make use of natural light and will include new gardens, green spaces, enhanced parking and a new elevated helipad.
"Today's investment at Stevenson will increase inpatient bed capacity and expand services offered to your families, ensuring that more people across Simcoe County can connect to convenient care where and when they need it for generations to come," Jones said.
The province and the hospital announced on Jan. 30 that the construction contract had been awarded to Pomerleau. The province had initially approved the expansion on March 16, 2022.
Site preparation work, including grading, retaining walls, a new parking lot and the helipad, began in January 2025 under a separate $14.5-million contract with Melrose Paving. A hospital representative said that work was almost entirely finished on schedule by the end of November, though heating elements still need to be installed on the helipad before a final inspection from Transport Canada.
"Deeply personal" milestone
New Tecumseth Mayor Richard Norcross, a long-time resident of the community, called the groundbreaking deeply personal.
"We are grateful to have Stevenson Memorial Hospital serving our community, and with this new facility, it will be able to do so much more. Not just for us today, but for generations of New Tecumseth families to come," Norcross said.
Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson credited more than a decade of work by hospital leadership, physicians, staff, volunteers, donors and municipal representatives. He also said he expects the expansion will be able to meet the needs of South Simcoe's growing population, whatever the province decides on its review of 2051 growth targets.
The province has also provided the hospital with $434,721 in Community Infrastructure Renewal funding to upgrade its infrastructure, following an announcement from Saunderson in November.
The investment in Stevenson Memorial is part of a provincial plan to spend $60 billion on major health infrastructure over the next 10 years, which the government says will add about 3,000 new hospital beds across Ontario. The province projects Ontario's population will reach 20.5 million by 2051, with 4.6 million people over the age of 65.
Ford said he is hopeful the hospital will see further additions over time. "You're thinking years down the road and that's what our government does," he told the groundbreaking ceremony. "We're visionaries and we plan for the future. Invest now and hopefully it takes care of the growth in the future."
