The Save South Muskoka Hospital Committee (SSMHC), a grassroots advocacy group, has issued a statement calling for a pause in the redevelopment plans for the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, citing lingering concerns about transparency and the adequacy of proposed healthcare services.
The committee’s statement comes in response to a recent announcement that an additional 10 beds will be added to the planned new hospital site, bringing the total to 46 acute care beds—a number that, while welcomed by the committee, falls short of community expectations.
The SSMHC remains critical of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s (MAHC) current hospital redevelopment model, known as the “Made in Muskoka” plan, which the group claims was crafted without sufficient public consultation or transparency. According to the committee, key questions about the future hospital’s location, transportation access, and the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals have yet to be fully addressed. “We have been waiting for over eight months for material questions to be answered with transparency,” the SSMHC stated in the press release.
The SSMHC’s most pressing concern is the reduction in overall bed capacity at the new South Muskoka site compared to the current hospital. Under the Made in Muskoka model, the hospital will have nearly one-third fewer beds than its existing 67-bed capacity, a figure that the committee believes is insufficient given the area’s anticipated population growth and current overcapacity issues. The group also notes that local Chambers of Commerce in Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes have publicly opposed the plan, advocating instead for a minimum of 60 beds at the South Muskoka site, in line with an alternative proposal known as the “Care Close to Home V2” model.
The committee is urging MAHC to delay submitting the redevelopment plan to the Ontario Ministry of Health, which is slated for review later this fall, until a report facilitated by District Chair Jeff Lehman is completed and presented to the District of Muskoka Council. The SSMHC argues that this pause would allow for further community consultation and reflection on the long-term healthcare needs of the region.
Beyond the immediate concerns about bed counts, the SSMHC is calling for more robust public oversight of the hospital redevelopment process. The group is advocating for the District of Muskoka to attach specific conditions to its $77 million local share contribution to the project, ensuring that the plan aligns with regional goals and priorities while benefiting all residents equitably.
The committee pointed to a policy adopted by Niagara Region as a model for accountability, which requires local hospital funding contributions to be measured against fairness, financial predictability, and demonstrated benefit to the community.
SSMHC fears that if the current plan proceeds without substantial revisions, South Muskoka could lose its appeal to businesses, new residents, and healthcare professionals. “If South Muskoka will not have an equitable, full-service, acute care hospital in the future, that this result will have a lasting negative impact on the ability of South Muskoka to attract business, new residents and healthcare professionals and, in turn, negatively impact real estate demand and values in our community,” said the press release.
The SSMHC is encouraging residents to voice their concerns directly to Premier Doug Ford, seeking to exert pressure on the provincial government to ensure that the redevelopment plan delivers a comprehensive and equitable healthcare infrastructure for the region.
