Cheryl Harrison, the President and CEO at Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare says that their redevelopment project for two new sites continues to move along as they work through the Ministry’s Stage 1.3 of its capital planning process for two new hospitals in Muskoka. 

Harrison says their greatest progress has been to identify a preliminary preferred site for a future Bracebridge Site.

Having looked at more than 20 different properties identified through various consultations, five locations met the minimum land requirements to proceed to evaluation. The team evaluated the five properties against broad criteria for location and property, land use planning framework, and capital and servicing costs.

Harrison says they have narrowed the five properties to three that are considered appropriate for a future hospital:

• 1975 Muskoka Beach Road across from Muskoka Brewery, (current preliminary preferred site);
• 300 Pine Street between Walmart and the fairgrounds; and
• Highway 118 West lands, located east of the Muskoka Hills retirement villa.

Our evaluation isn’t fully completed yet. Harrison says that over the next several weeks they will be further validating the 1975 Muskoka Beach Road property, which includes further due diligence such as geotechnical and hydrogeological studies, cost estimates, environmental assessment, and site plan preparation.