• 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.

• July 2021: Lakeridge Health announces the launch of community engagement on the site selection criteria for the proposed new hospital
• May 2021: Lakeridge Health announces preliminary steps in process to select a site for the new hospital
• February 2021: Council approved a new preferred site located at the south east corner of Highway 407 and Lake Ridge 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.

A proposed hospital site in Whitby was unanimously endorsed by Whitby Town Council in February 2021. The site, which will be submitted to Lakeridge Health for consideration, is located between Lake Ridge Road, Winchester Road, Highway 407 and Highway 412. This location can provide care closer to home for residents from across the region.

Why do we feel Whitby is the best location?

• It's Whitby's time - located in the heart of the region, Whitby is growing quickly We need a new hospital to close this gap in service and ensure our growing community has a complete health care system for the future.
• Seconds count - the Whitby site is easy to access by major roads and numerous highways from anywhere in the region for those who need treatment or emergency care. It will also have easy air ambulance and transit access.
• Whitby's site is large - it can accommodate convenient parking and future growth, like other health care amenities.

These criteria will help ensure that the site that is selected is in the best interests of the entire Durham community and provides critical care closer to home in areas of rapid growth.

What is the site selection process?

In May 2021, Lakeridge Health announced preliminary steps in the process to determine the site for a new hospital and in July 2021 launched community engagement on the site selection criteria for the new proposed hospital. We encourage all residents of Durham Region, including in Whitby, to get involved.

To align with this process and ensure our residents are well informed on opportunities to get involved, the Town will be sharing further details on this process as we learn them.

We know that the Lakeridge Health Expert Panel will make a recommendation for the preferred site to the Board of Trustees, who will then make a recommendation to the Minister of Health on which site to protect for future hospital use. 

Based on previous processes that have been undertaken to build new hospitals, we know that projects of this size and scope could take approximately ten years to be constructed and opened to the public.

What will the hospital cost?

While the cost of the hospital is not known at this time, the expected funding model is as follows.

The provincial government funds 90% of the cost of hospital construction and 100% of the planning costs.

The community's portion of funding (shared by the Lakeridge Health Foundation, Regional Municipality of Durham and the local municipalities) is the remaining 10% of the construction cost, and 100% of the equipment, technology, land and servicing costs. These costs to the community are known as the "local share".

As an example, the most recent Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital had a total project cost of $1.7 billion of which the provincial share was $1.3 billion. The balance was the local share of which the Region of York contributed $143 million and the City of Vaughan contributed $86 million for the purchase of land.

How can I stay up-to-date as the project moves ahead?

To stay informed on the project and latest updates, visit lakeridgehealth.on.ca.