There’s disappointment in the area after the 2024 Ontario budget released on Wednesday did not include a long-awaited planning grant for a new Whitby hospital.
“This is the third budget to pass, and there’s no planning grant for a hospital,” Mayor Elizabeth Roy said.
However, Roy acknowledges that there were no planning grants issued in the budget.
“There is money being spent on health care as a whole across the province, for additions to hospitals, expansions of services in that as well,” Roy said. “But the reality is, we’re going into a third budget. How many more budgets do we have to wait for this planning grant to be announced?”
An independent expert panel selected a site in Whitby in January 2022 for a new hospital in Durham. Since then, Roy said there has been zero action from the province.
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But Roy isn’t giving up hope.
“Under the process of planning grants in the province’s own document, it states that a planning grant can be announced at any point in time for a hospital,” Roy said. “I’m going to hang onto the words of what the premier said.”
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Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. In a statement to , MPP Lorne Coe, who has been an advocate for the new hospital, confirmed that Whitby will be getting a hospital – but not yet. “As Premier Ford said recently, while we are not issuing any new planning grants right now, we will be building a new hospital situated in Whitby for the people of Durham Region,” Coe said. “Our government is working hard to deliver on the $50 billion worth of hospital projects already in the pipeline. While we work to get shovels in the ground on these projects, I will continue to work closely with the staff at the Ministry of Health and our partners at Lakeridge Health to ensure we meet the health care needs of our growing community in Whitby and other parts of the region.” On Feb. 15, Premier Doug Ford said in a radio interview that there is going to be a Whitby hospital and that a planning grant would be issued soon. In a statement to , a spokesperson for Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy responded to the mayor’s disappointment. Story continues below “He is very supportive of the hospital and has long advocated for more Health care not only in Whitby but also in Pickering and all of Durham,” the spokesperson said. More on Health More videos Roy said she hopes that if not included now, they can announce a planning grant soon. “If we’re going to build enough housing units needed or if our community is going to grow as much as it is by 2031-2041, then infrastructure like health care education roads and water need consideration too.” Whitby MP Ryan Turnbull has also supported having this new hospital built since he believes it’s crucial for residents’ healthcare access. “Every delay just adds frustration among families who can’t get necessary care which erodes their trust,” Turnbull stated.-3--3--3--3--3-
