Infrastructure Ontario, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, and EllisDon Corporation have signed a fixed-price contract to build and finance the hospital's Emergency, Ambulatory and Mental Health redevelopment project in Ontario, Canada.

The project involves a three-storey addition to the northwest side of the current hospital building. The new addition will be approximately 106,000 square feet and will include:

• a new emergency department;
• surgical suite;
• medical devices reprocessing department;
• acute mental health unit with 15 inpatient beds and ambulatory services; and
• ambulance garage.

The contract commits EllisDon Corporation to build and finance the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital project for CAD$63.3 million (US$47.4 million), which will be paid out at substantial completion. The contract guarantees a fixed price and a fixed-delivery date for the redevelopment of the hospital. Construction at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital is expected to be complete in early 2018.

Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, stated:

"I am very excited to see this important project reach this major milestone. Now that the contract has been signed, work can get underway. This investment in St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital is another example of our government's commitment to providing the people of Ontario with access to high quality care in the community, closer to home."

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment, and Infrastructure, commented:

"I'm excited that a contract has been signed for this significant redevelopment. This considerable investment highlights our government's aggressive plan to continue investing in public infrastructure - with a strong focus on maximizing the value of taxpayer money."

Bert Clark, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario, said:

"IO is very proud to be involved in the redevelopment of the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. We will continue to work with St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital to deliver this project on time and on budget."

Paul Collins, President and CEO, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, added:

"This expansion will help us deliver the healthcare our community deserves during each visit, at every stage of life, as close to home as possible. The signing of this contract is a significant milestone and signals the start of an exciting era for our community."