Groundbreaking day

Shovels hit the ground in symbolic start for new hospital build

Wielding brand new shovels, representatives from Quinte Health Care (QHC), municipal and provincial governments, the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF), along with hospital staff and Auxiliary members, turned the soil in a symbolic start to the construction of a new hospital in Picton. Over 100 people attended the ceremonial event last Thursday at the build location behind the current hospital.QHC president and CEO Stacey Daub welcomed the attendees and thanked all the advocates whose tireless work had led to this point. “I could not be more excited to be here today for this momentous event. Today marks a huge milestone in our collective effort to raise a new hospital to serve our communities into the future,” she said. The build contract was awarded to M. Sullivan and Son, and work is slated to begin in September with a projected completion date of December 2027.

Among the afternoon’s speakers was Sylvia Jones, the Ontario Minister of Health. She praised Ms. Daub’s leadership on the project and noted that the provincial government had made huge investments in healthcare and had contributed $10 million to this build. MPP Todd Smith, who has represented Prince Edward County at the provincial level for the past 13 years, welcomed Ms. Jones to the County and presented her with a box of County wines. Mr. Smith has been a catalyst in the drive to build a new hospital in the County, going as far back as April 2013, when four busloads of County residents—representing POOCH, Patrons Of Our County Hospital—made the trip to Queen’s Park to stridently voice their support for the Picton hospital at a time when there was a real danger that it would be closed permanently. “The County community supports its hospital, and it shows in the galvanizing efforts of the Hospital Foundation to Back the Build, raising $22 million to date and providing incredible oxygen to this drive again and again,” he said. He singled out Leo Finnegan for helping him understand the importance of having a hospital in Picton, noting that Mr. Finnegan had given him a copy of Al Capon’s book The House of Healing in Prince Edward County, which told of the history of the current hospital and its predecessor on Hill Street. Also in attendance was another link to the 1959 opening of the current hospital. Reporter Jack Evans covered that event, and he was there on Thursday to report on the groundbreaking ceremony, some 65 years later. Mr. Smith said that the community support for the hospital build was widespread, from six-figure donors, to yard sales proceeds and even to kids’ lemonade stands all chipping in.

Infrastructure Ontario led the build procurement process, and CEO Michael Lindsay offered his congratulations to QHC for their leadership in the project. “This was the most competitive procurement for a hospital project in the province of Ontario in the past 10 years. I am honoured to be part of this project committed to building a hospital everyone can be proud of,” he said. Since 2020, the province has seen 16 major hospital projects completed and Mr. Lindsay said this is the twelfth groundbreaking ceremony, with 13 more projects at various stages.

Mayor Steve Ferguson and several council members and municipal staff attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Mayor Ferguson thanked the dedicated work of all the organizations and people who made this project become a reality, and in particular he thanked PECMHF executive director Shannon Coull for her leadership. “A hospital is not just a building. It also acts as a symbol of our collective dedication to provide top-notch health care to our community. With its state-of-the-art facilities and advanced medical technologies, the new hospital will ensure that everyone has access to the best possible care right here in Prince Edward County,” he said. PECMHF board chair Peggy Payne said that it has been a long and winding road to get to this point. The drive for a new hospital has seen four mayors, two QHC CEOs, and a number of provincial health ministers come and go. The Foundation has raised $22 million, with a new goal of $30 million. “This community has supported the project with energy, goodwill and generosity. We are now entering a new phase,” said Ms. Payne. She said there will be a community event on October 1 and more details will be announced closer to the date.

Leo Finnegan has been involved in this from almost day one, and was active until last month when he stepped down from his position on the PECMHF board. “It’s a wonderful day. Today is a happy day. There were times when I felt it wouldn’t happen. The people of Prince Edward were so determined to keep our hospital, and when we sent four busloads to Queen’s Park, they knew we were serious,” he said. It was an emotional day for Shannon Coull, who became PECMHF executive director in 2018 and led the public fundraising campaign. She is grateful for the support of all the donors, small and large, through the years. “It has been incredible. I wake up every single day excited to come to work. Every day is rewarding. The project has evolved quite a bit and the local share is now $30 million,” she said. “Our hospital will be the first of its kind in all of North America. We’re building a hospital that is 100 per cent mass timber and will have geothermal. We’re bringing in a CT scanner. All of those really special elements of this design are focused on patient comfort and caring for the whole patient and their families. We’re setting the bar. We are going to be leading the way in which hospitals are going to be built in the future. What I am most looking forward to is cutting the ribbon and moving patients into the new hospital.”