A News Release from the Niagara Health Foundation, the fund-raising arm for Niagara Health, the region’s amalgamated system of hospitals
Posted December 2nd, 2021 on Niagara At Large
Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Health Foundation is excited to announce the launch of the It’s Our Future campaign for the new South Niagara Site of Niagara Health.
The Foundation is honoured to announce that the campaign will be led by co-chairs Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls and Mr. Harry Oakes.
The long-standing billboard sign off the QEW at the southwest corner of Niagara Falls where the so-called “South Niagara” hospital will go.
The Foundation held its campaign kick-off event on December 1, 2021, at Arpad Park Hall in Niagara Falls. Community members, provincial, regional and local elected officials and a group of Founding Donors were in attendance.
The Foundation also announced that $18,875,000 has already been committed towards the campaign goal. The local share, which is the portion of funding for which a hospital is responsible, is $212 million for the South Niagara Site. The Foundation’s commitment for the campaign is $40 million.
The Foundation would like to thank the incredible generosity and leadership of our Founding Donors. Mark Basciano and Mountainview Building Group, The Branscombe Family Foundation, Angelo Butera (Panoramic Properties), The Cullen Family, Dominic DiLalla (Centennial Construction), Spencer Fox (on behalf of The Fox Family), Guerry Goyo (Villarboit Construction), Knights of Columbus Hennepin Council 1652, Marcella MacNamara, The Rankin Family, Paul Sottile (Olsen-Sottile Insurance), and Terry Sottile (Olsen-Sottile Insurance). The Founding Donors gifts will be celebrated individually in the coming weeks.
A computerized image of what the ‘South Niagara’ hospital may look like. Most or all of the green space that can be seen in this image around the proposed hospital, including Thundering Waters Forest, will likely see rapid urbanization when the hospital goes in. The same happened when the new hospital was built more than a decade ago in west St. Catharines.
“The Foundation is so thankful for the opportunity and task ahead of us. Our goal is to be the conduit for the community to be part of every square foot of the new site. We will be the outlet for families to honour loved ones and help them enshrine their legacies. As well, we will play a pivotal role in helping ensure that our families, loved ones, neighbours and visitors have a world-class healthcare facility right here in Niagara for all of Niagara.” – Andrea Scott, President and CEO, Niagara Health Foundation
“The South Niagara Site of Niagara Health is transformational for the delivery of healthcare as we know it. It represents the commitment of everyone in our region coming together around a shared vision for the future of healthcare. The site will specialize in stroke care, older adult care, and complex care for our longer-stay patients. In addition to these regional centres of excellence, the community will be well served by a full scope of hospital services.” – Lynn Guerriero, President and CEO, Niagara Health
“We could not be more excited about this medical centre of excellence coming to Niagara Falls. What this means is leading edge medical care for the entire Niagara Region for many years to come, and now is our time to get involved. We can all have a part in making this the trusted point of care for our families for generations. We encourage everyone to get involved in this campaign and learn about ways to donate and support one of the most important causes that we will see in our community.” – Campaign Co-Chairs, Harry Oakes & Mayor Jim Diodati
About the South Niagara Site – The South Niagara Site of Niagara Health will be approximately 1.2-million square feet with 469 beds, eight operating suites, and 42 hemodialysis station. The site will be a centre of excellence in stroke care, older adult care, and aging and wellness. The Site will be the first WELL certified healthcare facility in Canada – focused on the health and well-being of staff, physicians, volunteers, patients, families, caregivers and the Niagara community. For more on the South Niagara Site of Niagara Health, please visit www.niagarahealth.on.ca/site/south-niagara-hospital-project<http://www.niagarahealth.on.ca/site/south-niagara-hospital-project>
About the It’s Our Future campaign – To learn more about the It’s Our Future campaign for the South Niagara Site of Niagara Health, please visit www.<http://www.>ItsOurFuture.com .
To visit another recent post on Niagara At Large on this planned hospital for South Niagara, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2021/10/28/breaking-news-ontario-accepting-proposals-to-build-the-new-south-niagara-hospital/ .
To read another commentary on this hospital site, posted in Niagara At Large last year, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2020/10/01/could-new-niagara-falls-hospital-seal-fate-for-thundering-waters-forest/ .
NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.
Niagara At Large 
The new hospital is Niagara Falls South Hospital. Like the St. Catharines Hospital it will be inconvenient for the residents of the Falls who rely on public transit. As well it will close the hospitals in South Niagara making hospital health care in South Niagara more inconvenient for the residents and most likely result in fewer hospital beds. Will communities in South Niagara have no hospital care unless they are fortunate to have a doctor who is a member of a “Family of Doctors” as is the case in NOTL?
LikeLike
Oh, what fun. Here we go again. We’re asked to help pay towards a new hospital. On the surface, that looks fair. But is it? Check out where those big donations are coming from…developers, construction companies, insurance. All of which stand to make a tidy pile out of all the new development that the hospital will invariably bring in its wake…And now you know why it is that these P3 projects infinitely prefer pristine (undeveloped) sites in undeveloped areas: it’s because so many more companies get to cash in. Goodness knows the primary aim behind site selection for P3 hospitals has little or nothing to do with accessible hospital care.
LikeLike