Mayor Elizabeth Roay has renewed her call to Doug Ford government to start the process of building the proposed new hospital at the recommended site in Whitby.
“A hospital in Whitby is not guaranteed until the province completes the land disposition process and approves a $3 million planning grant for Lakeridge Health,” she pointed out.
She said the Town of Whitby is continuing to invest in a new hospital by awarding Lakeridge Health Foundation with a $25,000 grant from the Mayor’s Community Development Fund. “This is in addition to $25,000 from the fund awarded last year for a total investment of $50,000.”
The federal government has also stepped up with the recent announcement of a $3.1 billion health accord with the province. “We will be watching the upcoming 2024 provincial budget closely,” Mayor Roy said.
She pointed out that on February 15, Premier Doug Ford commented during an interview on CKDO Radio that “there’s going to be a Whitby hospital”.
“Thank you, Premier Ford, for this confirmation. Now, we need action,” she added.
Yesterday (March 7) marked the halfway point of the eight-week community advocacy campaign launched on February 7, focused on the urgent need for a new hospital in Durham Region.
“Over the first four weeks, we have seen a phenomenal response from the community with thousands of people signing the call-to-action letter or sharing a personal story about why a new hospital matters to them,” the mayor said.
“I am incredibly grateful to Durham residents for this support, and deeply concerned by some of the stories we’re hearing,” she added.
There are four weeks left in the community advocacy campaign. “I encourage all Durham residents to help us keep the momentum going by visiting whitby.ca/NewHospital to sign the call-to-action letter or share a personal story,” Mayor Roy urged.
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