Not sure if you have had reason to visit the state-of-the-art new hospital in Oakville’s North end, but it certainly seems to be living up to its highly-praised plans. This huge progressive healthcare centre is well timed for our growing community. It offers full-service acute care with a capacity of over 600 beds. It represents one of Ontario’s largest infrastructure projects. This massive project was funded by what the government calls Alternative Financing and Procurement Model (AFP). This model of financing puts the responsibility for design, construction, financing and maintenance of the project to the private sector. This method leverages private sector resources and expertise and makes the private sector assume the risk and be responsible for delivering on time and on budget. This approach capitalizes on private-sector expertise and project management while keeping the ownership of the large public asset public.
When you drive by you certainly get a sense of how large the facility is. The main building excavation was the equivalent of 6,500 truckloads of earth or 700 swimming pools! More than 73,000 cubic metres of concrete were poured into the structure – the same amount it would take to build a walkway from downtown Oakville to Pearson airport! At the peak of construction, 1200 workers were on site each day.
The new hospital is creating jobs as it becomes a hub for research and innovation in health and life sciences. A lot of these new jobs will be high-wage knowledge-based employment. This really is an incredible facility with so many benefits for our community. There is a new cancer clinic to serve the Oakville and surrounding areas. Recruiting and retaining medical staff is a much easier prospect when you have a cutting-edge hospital in a desirable community to live. This hospital is another reason why Oakville is a great, healthy place to live and make a living!
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