Province to provide an additional $6.4 million to address funding gap

Kitchener - Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy and Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Leeanna Pendergast announced today an additional $6.4 million in provincial funding for St. Mary’s General Hospital’s Redevelopment Project. The additional funding will help cover a number of unforeseeable project costs related to the hospital’s operating rooms expansion, emergency department expansion project and project management costs.

The $100 million redevelopment project, which will be completed in June 2009, features redevelopment of 90,000 square feet of existing space and the addition of 100,000 square feet of new space in a state-of-the art addition.

Today’s additional investment brings the province’s total support for the project to up to $63,029,196.

“I have had the opportunity to work closely together with the leadership of St. Mary’s over the last few years on their redevelopment project,” said John Milloy, MPP Kitchener Centre. “Increasing funding for the project to help cover unanticipated costs will help ensure our community continues to have access to the highest quality health services in this new state-ofthe- art facility.”

“Today’s announcement is excellent news for St. Mary’s, and for the community we are proud to serve. This gap funding will enable us to continue directing our valuable resources toward delivering quality, compassionate care to our patients and their families,” said Moira Taylor, President, St. Mary’s General Hospital.

“The investment and redevelopment of St. Mary’s Hospital provides the staff, doctors and volunteers an improved and modern health care environment in which they can continue to provide high quality care for patients and their families,” said Kathy Durst, Chair, Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network.