Ontario Construction News staff writer
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) officially broke ground Tuesday on a long-anticipated cardiovascular surgery program, a $93-million investment that will bring life-saving care to patients across Northwestern Ontario.
Tom Jones Construction will lead the project that includes more than 76,000 square feet of new and renovated clinical space will be developed as part of the project, which is expected to be completed in 2027.
The scope of the project includes 14 new cardiovascular surgery inpatient beds, six coronary care unit beds, a state-of-the-art surgical suite with C-arm imaging, expanded clinics, a new vascular lab, and upgrades to medical device and biomedical departments.
“This historic investment from the Government of Ontario will help us work toward establishing a cardiovascular surgery program at our hospital,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, president and CEO of TBRHSC. “This is what it looks like when a region pulls together for a common cause that benefits all.”
The program—developed in partnership with University Health Network’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre—is the first of its kind in the region and will end the need for roughly 300 patients a year to travel to southern Ontario for cardiac surgery.
Local officials, health care partners, donors and government representatives joined hospital staff at the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the milestone.
“For the first time, our region will have its own cardiovascular surgery program, bringing lifesaving care closer to home,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay–Atikokan. “This project reflects our government’s strong commitment to improving access to health care in the North.”
Holland noted the funding builds on more than $200 million in recent provincial investments in health care in Thunder Bay, including infrastructure upgrades and expanded frontline services. He thanked Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones for her leadership on the initiative.
The program will be supported by the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation’s “Our Hearts at Home” campaign and will operate in collaboration with the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre to ensure patients in the North receive care at the same standard as one of the country’s top cardiac centres.
“It is exciting to see construction begin,” said Dr. Barry Rubin, medical director of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to making world-leading cardiac care more accessible to people in Northwestern Ontario and other underserved regions across Canada.”
Construction updates will be posted online at www.tbrhsc.net.