Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott, and Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma were among the special guests to sign the final structural beam for West Park Healthcare Centre’s new, $1.2 billion, pandemic-ready hospital.
The signing of the final beam on Aug. 11 is a major construction milestone, signifying completion of the building structure at the Toronto site. The 30-foot steel beam has been lifted to the rooftop of the new six-storey, 730,000 sq. ft. building overlooking the Humber River valley.
“When these doors open, this new facility will provide residents here in the western GTA with access to the high-quality care they deserve…where and when they need it,” Ford said. “Our government is fully committed to fortifying our health care sector, and EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare (EllisDon) has been awarded the fixed-price contract to design, build, finance and maintain the new hospital. West Park Healthcare Centre will play a major part in helping us achieve that goal.”
Scheduled to open in 2023, the pandemic-ready hospital features a dedicated wing designed for airborne containment.
EllisDon has a live construction cam at the site, inviting the public to view milestones including:
- Up to four cranes onsite and potentially as many as 500 construction workers and tradespeople on the campus at the height of construction;
- Topping off event when the final concrete slabs are poured at the top of the new hospital in 2022; and
- Official opening of the new hospital in 2023.
West Park will have similar, smaller containment zones called Airborne Isolation Rooms (AIRs) placed throughout the hospital. The new facility will also feature a state-of-the-art HVAC system ensuring only 100 per cent fresh air is pumped in from the outdoors, eliminating the need for re-circulated air and removing the potential transmission of airborne pathogens.
“West Park’s century-long legacy of caring for people with tuberculosis (TB) made pandemic planning a priority from the start,” said Anne-Marie Malek, West Park’s president and CEO.
“This milestone brings us closer to opening a cutting-edge facility that will be at the forefront in responding to future pandemics and continuing in our role in providing care to those suffering from respiratory illnesses.”
With demand for West Park’s rehabilitative services expected to grow in the years ahead, the transformation and expansion of the campus of care will improve access to care and increase West Park’s capacity to serve the needs of Ontarians with various health challenges, traumatic injuries and chronic illnesses such as COPD, TB, amputations, strokes, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.
“By investing in health infrastructure like West Park Healthcare Centre’s new hospital, our government is building capacity and ensuring our health care system is prepared to respond to any scenario. Today’s milestone brings us even closer to opening a state-of-the-art hospital that supports innovative, high quality care for patients requiring specialized rehabilitative and complex care,” said Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health.