The Ontario government has given the green light for construction to begin on the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.
The hospital, which has been serving the West Niagara area for over 70 years, will be rebuilt on its current property on Main Street in Grimsby.
The construction project will be completed by Ellis Don Infrastructure Healthcare.
During the next three years, Ellis Don Infrastructure Healthcare will design, build and finance the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital redevelopment project.
"After decades of inaction by previous governments, our government is getting it done for the people of West Niagara," said Premier Doug Ford. "We're getting shovels in the ground to build the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital to ensure people and families in this growing community can access the care they need and deserve, closer to home."
"Promise made, promise kept - shovels are in the ground for our new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital," said MPP Sam Oosterhoff. "I have been advocating for this new hospital for our community since I was elected as MPP in 2016.
Infrastructure Ontario has awarded a fixed-price contract of $224 million for the project.
The new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital will be constructed behind the existing facility, allowing the hospital to remain operational until the new one is built.
West Lincoln Memorial Hospital provides both inpatient services and outpatient services, including emergency services, complex and palliative care, surgery, and maternal and newborn care.
The new hospital will have twice the current operating room capacity, 100-per-cent single-patient rooms, and be home to a an ambulatory care program with access to specialists from across Hamilton Health Sciences specializing in cardiac, cancer and seniors’ care, as well as a birthing program.
As a site of Hamilton Health Sciences, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital also serves as a point of access to one of the largest health systems in Canada for patients requiring more specialized care.