Brantford urges province to prioritize new hospital

Campaigning for a new Brantford hospital There's a new push to replace Brantford's aging hospital. Colton Wiens reports.

The City of Brantford is urging the province to earmark funds for a new hospital.

The city has launched a "New Hospital Now" campaign to ask Premier Doug Ford and the Ministry of Health to prioritize funding in the 2025 Ontario Budget for a new hospital in Brantford. The campaign features a petition for residents to sign.

“It's a shame that the quality people, the people that we have working in that hospital have to work in some of those conditions. The [emergency department] has got a bit of a punch up for the near future. But we really are working at a building, some of which goes back to the fifties and sixties. And it's just not it's just not adequate for a modern health care facility,” Dan McCreary, a Ward 3 Councillor for the City of Brantford said.

“Quite frankly, it's a detriment to us being able to attract physicians to this community because there are so many cooler facilities elsewhere where they can work,” McCreary added.

The city said the catchment area for the Brantford General Hospital has grown by nearly 11 per cent in five years. The city also expects population to grow by 35 per cent over the next 25 years.

McCreary is part of a leadership that launched the New Hospital Now campaign. He said the city doesn’t know if they want a brand-new hospital in a different space, a second hospital, or to replace the old one, but said this petition will show support for whatever the province decides.

“We really are the cheerleaders for the MPP and for the hospital board in terms of how they begin to deal with the provincial government. I think there's a sentiment in this community that we would like to see a new hospital on a greenfield site. I think that's what most people here would like to see. But we are quite happy with whatever decision is made for us,” McCreary said.

Community members are encouraged to pick up a free “New Hospital Now” lawn sign to join the call.

“In Spring 2022, our government announcement our investment to support Stage 1 for the planning of a new hospital in Brantford,” Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said in an email.

“We will continue to work with our hospital partners, including Brant Community Healthcare System, to ensure people are connected to the care they need, in their community, for years to come,” the email went on to say.

Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma also recently announced $16 million in provincial funding to complete critical upgrades and repairs at the emergency area of the hospital.

According to the Carpenter, the area is one of the least funded areas in the province for healthcare compared to population and size. McCreary hopes the petition will get the province’s attention and help build a new hospital as soon as possible.

“We just want to make sure that that Will's efforts get the support in this community that they deserve, because we want to go to the top of the list,” McCreary said.

A hospital in need of care

People outside the Brantford General Hospital on Monday told CTV News they support any kind of improvement.

"It's jampacked. We're definitely short on staff. I've been here for five days. It's definitely a little bit unorganized. [There is] a lot of construction going on. I think building a new hospital would be way better than fixing up an old one," Justin Wagenaar, a Brantford resident said.

“It's too overcrowded in here. When you actually have some really bad concerns, they can't help you," Victoria, a Brantford resident said.

A second campaign

While the city lawn signs are still being handed out, Ward 4 Councillor Richard Carpenter started his own lawn sign campaign a little while back. It’s a campaign that McCreary said council doesn't endorse, but it also calls on the premier to help build a new hospital.

"We need a new hospital a long time ago. We've got terrific people working there. But the infrastructure of the hospital itself is falling apart around the people that are working there. We need a brand-new hospital, and we need it now," Carpenter said.

Where do I get a sign?

Sign for the city’s official campaign can be picked up at the following locations:

A "New Hospital Now" petition has also been launched. Paper copies are available at all sign pickup locations in addition on an online version.

Improving Brantford General Hospital

The Brantford General Hospital, often referred to as the BGH, opened its doors in 1885.

According to the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS), the hospital currently offers 299 acute care beds and serves Brantford, Brant County, Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

In 2022, Premier Ford visited the BGH to pledge an initial $2.5 million to being planning the hospital’s Redevelopment Project. Officials with the Brant County Healthcare System said they have been able to obtain an additional $23 million from the government to address critical facility repairs, boiler replacement and essential infrastructure upgrades.

The hospital also began a major renovation project for the emergency department. The BCHS said the buildings where the emergency department is located are 64 and 56-years-old and although there have been some renovations over the years, the building was showing its age and no longer meeting patient needs.

Some of the work included a new emergency department entrance, renovated patient entry, triage, waiting and registration areas, a new Indigenous family room and upgraded ambulance and EMS parking and drop-off areas.

The Ontario government pitched in $28,376,900 for the emergency department renovations, but the estimated project cost came in at $32,429,000. The local community was asked to help cover the remaining construction costs and help the BCHS buy new medical equipment.

The renovations are ongoing and are expected to be complete by early 2027.

In a statement, the Brant Community Healthcare System said, "BCHS has long recognized the need to redevelop our two hospital facilities—Brantford General Hospital and The Willett Hospital in Paris. While past renovations have extended their use, much of the infrastructure has surpassed its lifecycle and requires significant upgrades. The communities we serve—Brantford, Brant County, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation—are experiencing rapid growth, making a strong healthcare system more essential than ever. Redeveloping these spaces will allow our healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional care in state-of-the-art environments that meet the needs of our vibrant, growing community."

Brant County’s health care frustrations

This is not the first time the people of Brant County have pleaded with the government to lend a hand when it comes to healthcare.

The Willett Urgent Care Centre in Paris has been serving the community since 1922, but that almost came to an end a few years ago.

In 2016 a group of residents rallied together to sign a petition against the potential closure of the facility. The grassroots effort came after a report recommended closing the urgent care centre and selling the property due to high operating costs.

Ultimately, the decision to keep the Willet was made, and it continues to offer healthcare to this day.