Christmas came early for Bluewater Health.
The hospital has received $1.89 million from the Ontario Health Ministry to upgrade aging infrastructure in Petrolia and Sarnia.
The money will be used for diesel tank replacement in Sarnia, and for upgrades to the elevator, generator, sanitary sewers, and a new boiler plant at CEE Hospital in Petrolia.
Bluewater Health CEO Mike Lapaine said he is hopeful a lot of the work will be wrapped up by March of 2020.
"We are excited to get started on these upgrades. Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital is over 100 years old and this jump-starts the redevelopment project," said Lapaine. "We are moving through the five stages to address the $7.5 million commitment we’ve already received and we expect the next three stages to move quickly. This is exciting as we will see changes in Petrolia immediately."
The improvements at the Petrolia site are part of a multi-year and multi-phase project. The government announced a $7.5 million capital grant in April 2017 as part of work to create a community healthcare village in the town.
Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley said he is thrilled with the funding announcement.
"Petrolia is proud to be home to the extraordinary CEE Hospital, a vital service to our community and the surrounding area," said Loosley. "On behalf of council, I would like to congratulate Bluewater Health on their receipt of the funding from the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF) and thank the Province of Ontario, MPP Bob Bailey and the committee for their ongoing support and the ongoing commitment to the health of Petrolia."
Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey said he’s happy to deliver the holiday gift to Bluewater Health.
"CEE Hospital is at the heart of healthcare in Petrolia and rural Lambton County. I am extremely pleased that our government is making this important investment in the renewal of CEE Hospital," said Bailey. “Today’s $1.89 million investment at Bluewater Health and Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital is another step in our government’s plan to build a connected and sustainable public healthcare system around the needs of patients, which includes investing $27 billion over 10 years in hospital infrastructure."
Bluewater Health originally applied for $5 million in exceptional circumstances funding in early 2018 with the hope of receiving it over several years.
Just over $890,000 of the money announced Wednesday is traditional funding, while around $1 million falls under the exceptional circumstances umbrella.
The organization says it will apply for additional funding in the years to come to further upgrade CEE Hospital.
