The Town of Whitby is calling upon the provincial government to prioritize the new hospital in the upcoming budget to be presented by Peter Bethlenfalvy, Finance Minister and Pickering-Uxbridge MPP on March 26.
“Ensuring access to quality healthcare services and infrastructure, like a new hospital, is critical to supporting resident’s quality of life as Whitby and Durham continue to grow,” said a town statement.
It pointed out that it has been nearly two years after the province announced the planning grant for a new hospital in Whitby.
“The town continues to do its part to help bring care closer to home for residents – working with partners to acquire the land for the future hospital. Lakeridge Health also continues to advocate for the capital commitment to move the project forward.
“In this year’s provincial budget, the town is asking the province to prioritize the new hospital project and required next steps – including project timeline, land, and capital commitments – to bring this much-needed facility closer to reality,” said the Whitby statement.
“Whitby is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, and our residents deserve infrastructure and services that keep pace with that growth. Municipalities are being asked to do more than ever before, and we simply cannot continue to fund provincial responsibilities through property taxes. Closing the municipal funding gap and investing in critical priorities like a new hospital in Whitby are essential steps to protecting quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Elizabeth Roy.
Learn more about these and other priorities at whitby.ca/TownAdvocacy.