In a historic announcement with the potential to profoundly advance access to quality healthcare and education in the community, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) and Lakehead University are excited to announce that an agreement has been formed to explore the construction of a new hospital on the university’s campus located on University Avenue in Orillia.
A parcel of land on the south side of Lakehead’s Orillia campus has been identified as the preferred site to build the new hospital, pending provincial government approvals and the exploration and negotiation process between the organizations.
“We are thrilled that Lakehead University could be the future home to Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital,” said Carmine Stumpo, President and CEO of OSMH.
“There’s a dynamic and powerful synergy between hospitals and universities that we’ve fully embraced in Orillia since the University first opened in 2006. Becoming next door neighbours would create infinite possibilities to advance those partnerships and progress for decades to come.”
“This is a major milestone on our journey in planning for a new hospital and we couldn’t have a better partner than Lakehead University. Not only does the location make great sense in terms of patient accessibility, it also allows our organizations to deepen our relationship even further for the benefit of the communities we serve,” said Lawre Pietras, Chair of the OSMH Board of Directors.
The Hospital is now working with the University to determine how the land could be developed to house the new hospital.
“Lakehead University is committed to working with the communities we serve to help shape a brighter future through strengthened services and opportunities that open doors for students and future generations to thrive,” said Dr. Gillian Siddall, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University.
“The City of Orillia is growing and critical services like healthcare and education need to expand to meet people’s needs. Through Lakehead and OSMH coming together in partnership, we can achieve more together as we work with our provincial and municipal partners to build this great community. Lakehead is excited to imagine the possibilities ahead,” added Dr. Siddall.
Lakehead University already maintains a very strong relationship with OSMH and this new development will only strengthen these partnerships and collaborations in ways that benefit communities beyond our campus borders, explained Dr. Linda Rodenburg, Principal of Lakehead’s Orillia Campus.
In 2023, OSMH and Lakehead signed an MOU formalizing their longstanding partnership and creating space to engage in discussions around academic and non-academic program development, scholarly and health-related projects and research, and collaborative long-term planning, such as opportunities for sharing of human and capital resources.
“Our partnership with the hospital has the potential to transform healthcare delivery and create new opportunities for research, co-op, and work-integrated learning, and healthcare-related program development,” said Dr. Rodenburg. “Together, we have the opportunity to change the way we deliver healthcare and education in Orillia and across the region.”
“Identifying Lakehead University as the preferred site for the new Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital is an exciting and significant step forward,” said Hon. Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response of Ontario; MPP, Simcoe North.
“As the community continues to experience unprecedented growth, moving this project and partnership forward will continue to be a top priority to support the future healthcare needs of Orillia and surrounding communities.”
Selection Process
The process to identify and select a preferred site was thorough and comprehensive, starting in 2019 with the completion of a community-wide Criteria Survey to determine the most important factors to consider when assessing potential locations. Emergency Services Access, Vehicular Access and Parking were the top 3 criteria identified by the more than 1,100 respondents.
In 2023, OSMH initiated an Expression of Interest (EOI), an open invitation to any Orillia landowner with available property that met the basic size and servicing requirements to submit their property for consideration.
An independent Site Selection Task Force with broad community representation was then formed that reviewed technical site evaluations of each viable property conducted by Stantec Architecture Inc. Upon satisfaction of the Task Force and OSMH Future Hospital Committee, the Hospital’s Board of Directors and University’s Board of Governors subsequently endorsed the proposal which led to the ratification of a Letter of Intent between the Hospital and University to explore the possibility of building a new hospital at the site.
For more information and to stay up to date on the Hospitals’ redevelopment projects, visit the Future Hospital page on our website, www.osmh.on.ca
