BWG council passes resolution to encourage new Southlake Health hospital build

Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont. (CTV News Barrie)

Bradford West Gwillimbury is throwing down six welcome mats for the new Southlake Health centre.

During its meeting held March 18, Bradford West Gwillimbury (BWG) council passed a resolution inviting Southlake Health to locate its new hospital in its town.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our community,” said Mayor James Leduc. “Southlake Health is in dire need of a new hospital site and Bradford West Gwillimbury is well situated to meet all of their requirements.”

Last November, Southlake Health sent out a cry for help in the form of land to build a second hospital in addition to the current facility on Davis Drive in Newmarket.

Southlake expects significant growth in both southern Simcoe County and northern York region during the next decade and wants to be prepared.

Landowners were asked to submit proposals that include a minimum of 40 acres, be within 17 kilometres of the current Davis Drive hospital, and can be built within five-to-seven years.

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Southlake Health plans to announce the preferred site this spring.

“Southlake Health has invited six BWG proposals to participate in Stage 2 of their evaluation process,” said Leduc.

“If any of these properties emerge as Southlake’s preferred site, we look forward to working with Southlake, the landowners and our residents to ensure the new hospital is perfectly integrated into our growing community. We’re ready to go with great sites, available servicing capacity, public transit and a well-educated workforce.”

Seeing this as a boon for its economy, council’s resolution says that a ‘…new acute care hospital located within BWG presents a generational opportunity to provide direct health care benefits to the community, generate significant direct employment, attract a cluster of health science, clinical, professional, and other support services that generate additional indirect employment, grow assessment value, and draw other employment and community investment.’

“Southlake has established a very rigorous evaluation process to select its new hospital site. While we hope they select a BWG site, everyone will win when the new hospital opens, regardless of its location,” Leduc said.