To help guide how and where health care services will be delivered over the next 20 years and beyond, Lakeridge Health is developing a Master Program and Plan. As part of this plan, Lakeridge Health is considering building a new, full-service hospital in Durham Region and is looking for where to locate it.

Why Choose Whitby?

A new hospital in central Durham located in Whitby is the best location for Lakeridge Health's new full service hospital and  to be built. Here's why:

Prime location

• within the heart of Durham Region, filling the gap between current Lakeridge Health hospital sites
• in close proximity to two 400-series highways
• land ready for development

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Well connected

• located in close proximity to a number of amenities and significant residential growth sites
• easy access to public transit

Addresses growth

• Lakeridge Health’s Strategic Plan identifies that Durham Region’s growth will double from 680,000 in 2016 to 1.3 million in 2050
• Whitby will be one of the fastest growing municipalities during that time

Readily available

• serviceable
• no environmental constraints

Educational partnerships

• opportunity for post-secondary education partnerships with leading institutions

A leader in innovation

• Whitby is the technology and innovation hub of Durham Region
• opportunity to be a leading edge technology and innovation hospital

Population growth statistics

• Durham Region is one of the fastest-growing areas in Canada, with the population expected to almost double to 1.2 million by 2041. Whitby will be one of the fastest growing municipalities during that time.
• Over the next 20 years, the fastest growing sub-set of the population in Durham Region will be people over the age of 90, with significant growth in all groups aged 65 and older.
• In Whitby, according to the most recent population projections, approximately 30,000 Whitby residents will be turning age 65 in the next 15 years.
• The Province of Ontario projects that the number of seniors age 65 years and over will double from 2.2 million in 2015 to 4.5 million by 2041.
• By the year 2030, it is expected that more than a quarter of all Canadians will be over the age of 65.

Key Dates

February 2021: Council approved a new preferred site located at the south east corner of Highway 407 and Lakeridge Road

2019: Town establishes a Hospital Task Force to lead the development of the business case for a new Durham Central hospital to be located in Whitby

2018: the Ontario Government announced its support for the new hospital in its 2018 Budget.

2017: Lakeridge Health initiated a Master Planning process to create a roadmap for the facilities and infrastructure improvements and expansion required to meet the needs of the community for the next five, 10, 20 years and beyond.  A new hospital is noted as an important part of their Master Plan.

2015: the Ontario Government-appointed Scarborough/West Durham Expert Panel recommended that a new comprehensive acute care hospital should be constructed for Durham Region.

Next Steps

The Town has created a task force to help build the business case for Whitby as the ideal location.

Helpful Links

• CAO 03-21 Report
• CAO 31-19 Hospital Task Force Update 2019
• Staff Report CAO 15-19 – Lakeridge Health Hospital – Whitby Site (May 27, 2019)
• Hope for New Hospital in Whitby – Whitby This Week Article (June 26, 2019)

Questions?

If you have any further questions, please contact Sarah Klein or 905.430.4300 x 4338.