Hospital groundbreaking celebration

Community celebrates the start of new hospital construction

The shovels are finally in the ground as construction has started on the new hospital in Picton. To celebrate the event, the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) invited the community to a party at Base31 last Tuesday evening. It was a festive atmosphere with face painting for the kids and tasty culinary treats from a number of vendors at The Commissary, and dance music from the Pushbroom Tycoons to end the evening. PECMHF Executive Director Shannon Coull welcomed the community and thanked them for supporting the Back the Build campaign. “What a great day this is for our community. I have goose bumps from head to toe. Thank you for supporting Back the Build. We likely would not be here today without you. We are making history right now—we are building a brand new hospital,” she said. She added that this is the largest project the community has ever undertaken. She thanked POOCH (Patrons of our County Hospital), the members of the hospital auxiliary and individuals including Leo Finnegan and Barbara Mc- Connell for their tireless efforts to make the vision of a new hospital become a reality. Ms. Coull also thanked the volunteers who make up the Campaign Cabinet for their years-long fundraising effort.

Nancy Parks, chair of the Campaign Cabinet, said that she has been looking forward to this day and that the fundraising task had been fulfilling and enjoyable. “This community has shown how exceptional it is to support something we believe in. We don’t just talk about it, we put our vision of what we determine we need into action,” she said. The campaign has raised over $23 million, thanks to donations from businesses, individual donors, families and legacy gifts.

The fundraising will effort will continue over the next few years to a goal of $30 million. Mayor Steve Ferguson thanked the Foundation for its effort to make the new build a reality. “The basis for the effort that got us to where we are today are the visionaries— Dave Gray, Monica Alyea, Leo Finnegan, to name a few,” he said. He recalled 200 residents descending upon Queen’s Park to present a 5,200-signature petition to MPP Todd Smith in April, 2013. That raised the profile of the County’s fight to keep its existing hospital and laid the groundwork that would eventually lead to a new hospital. “The hospital will be a place where every person will receive compassionate and comprehensive care. We will have access to the best possible care right here in Prince Edward County,” he said.

Stacey Daub, president and CEO of Quinte Health said she was proud to be at the event on Tuesday. “The hospital is a symbol of care, connection and community. We’re showing the world—and Canada and Ontario—how rural communities can embrace cutting-edge technology environmental sustainability, world-class care, and a powerful vision for the future,” she said. The building contractor is Sullivan and Son, and the design is from the firm HDR. Jason-Emery Groen, design director and senior vice president of HDR, spoke about some of the design features of the new hospital. He began by noting that traditional construction methods and materials are energyintensive and not environmentally sustainable. The new Picton hospital will use mass timber. “This is engineered wood from managed forests to make assemblies of materials that are the lightest and strongest materials you can use. This will be watched world-wide. In North America, this will be the first mass-timber hospital ever.” He said there’s been a decade’s worth of approval processes behind this material. He said the hospital will achieve a carbon balance and will utilize geothermal energy. “This will be the lowest energy-use hospital in North America,” he said.

Having a hospital remain in Picton will provide care close to home for County residents. Lisa Lindsay knows first-hand how important that is. Twenty-six years ago, as a new mother with a six-week-old daughter, she was struck by a car and suffered multiple life-threatening injuries. There was a possibility that she would never be able to walk again. Following surgery in Kingston, she was transferred to the Picton hospital, where she remained for three months. She wondered how she would be able to take care of her child. The hospital staff—from medical professionals to custodial— rallied to her aid. “Local health care provided me with the care I needed close to home so I could be with my family daily. Staff took breaks in my room to help me care for my new baby. They were all here to support me. They healed all of me. The Picton hospital gave me my life back,” she said. The new hospital will continue that tradition of care close to home. Dr. Sarah Leblanc said the new hospital will have design features geared to patient comfort. “They will have their own room, with their own bathroom. There will be space for family to gather around and a place for private patient conversation. They will have dignified care, and this hospital will help us do that.