Ontario is investing as much as $358 million in Etobicoke General Hospital to fund the construction of four new storeys and 250,000 square feet of new space to provide the community with the services it needs most, including emergency and critical care.

The project will provide the community with access to a large state-of-the-art emergency department; a new intensive care unit that is close to four times the size of the existing space; a new maternal newborn unit with birthing suites and a specialized nursery; a new ambulatory procedures unit featuring procedure and operating rooms, patient preparation and recovery areas and dedicated clinic space, including a new respiratory clinic; and larger, brighter patient rooms.

This investment is part of the province’s 2016 Budget, which is providing $12 billion over 10 years in capital grants to hospitals to continue building essential infrastructure. In addition, the Budget allocated over $7.6 million total in operating funding for William Osler Health Centre, which includes Etobicoke General Hospital.

“This is an exciting time for North Etobicoke as we officially break ground on Etobicoke General Hospital’s transformational expansion and renovation project,” said John Davies, chair of the William Osler Health System Foundation, in a press release. “With new, state-of-the-art spaces created through this project, it means that Osler can ensure this community has greater access to the services they rely on most, like emergency, critical care and women’s and children’s care.”

The request for proposal stage for the new patient tower closed on November 19, 2015. On March 22 of this year, Etobicoke Healthcare Partnership was selected to complete the project.