Construction on our new patient care wing is starting!
Minister David Caplan speaks to the crowd at the Shovel in the Ground Ceremony at St. Joe's.
CEO Carolyn Baker says hello to baby Claire and her mother, Eva Jansen.
Cheri Di Novo, MPP Parkdale - High Park, Carolyn Baker, CEO, David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Laurel Broten, MPP, Etobicoke Lakeshore, & Richard Ross, SJHC Board of Directors Chair, pose as David lifts the shovel.
The shovel sits ready for the ground breaking ceremony.
Construction on our new patient care wing is now beginning!
Health Minister David Caplan joined St. Joseph’s staff to celebrate the start of construction on our new patient care wing.
The shovel in the ground ceremony, held September 10th, marks the beginning of Phase 2 of our redevelopment project. The 130,000 sq. ft, four storey patient care wing will give families in Toronto’s west end access to more services.
We will be able to provide the highest quality of care closer to home for our tiniest patients in a state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a new Paediatric Unit, a new Child and Adolescent Mental Health unit and an expanded Family Birthing Centre.
“The construction of the new wing is a significant milestone for this community.” These much-needed improvements will not only reduce emergency room wait times, but the will increase access to care,” said David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Construction will begin in the next two weeks and the new wing is expected to be completed in 2012.
"The construction of the new Our Lady of Mercy Wing is the final phase in the extensive redevelopment of St. Joseph’s Health Centre. For almost 90 years we have played a critical role in building healthy communities in south west Toronto. The new OLM will provide us with 21st century facility that matches the compassionate, innovative and leading edge care that we provide every day to our patients, their families and our communities - and it advances our role in educating the next generation of health care professionals. This is a very exciting time for St. Joseph’s Health Centre - for those we serve and those who serve with us," said Carolyn Baker, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Centre.
Ken Deane, Assistant Deputy Minister and our former CEO, shared some reflections on his time here at St. Joe’s with staff.
“I want to express a real appreciation to Carolyn Baker, my colleague and friend, for inviting me to this event. Standing here today brings back profound feelings of pride. This redevelopment project has been a labour of love and from day one I was so proud to say that I worked at St. Joe’s,” said Deane.
During the ceremonies, the Jansen family’s story was shared as being the first to deliver their baby in the new Our Lady of Mercy Wing, well sort of.
Even though the actual building is still a few years away from being complete, that didn’t stop Eva Jansen from giving birth to her daughter Claire in the underground parking garage by the Health Centre’s Emergency Department. Her husband Scott Jansen, delivered his health baby daughter while his wife sat in the passenger seat of the family’s car.
Click here to read the full story of this family’s adventure while they welcomed their newest family member into the world.
Click here to visit our website’s redevelopment section.
Click here to return to the What's New main page
Page last updated: June 29, 2010