Building of West Park's new hospital to bring employment and training opportunities for local community
Dec. 4, 2018 - Industry leaders pledged to ensure the local community surrounding West Park Healthcare Centre will directly benefit from the development of a new world-class hospital.
With the official signing of the Community Benefits and Apprenticeship Declaration, West Park becomes the first Ontario hospital to include a community benefits component in the development of a major new public infrastructure, in this case, a new six-storey hospital facility.
“As a major employer in the area, we have a responsibility to give back to our immediate community,” says Anne-Marie Malek, West Park’s President and CEO. “Our campus is undergoing a bold transformation to help patients get their lives back. It’s only natural that this development also transforms the nearby community and improves the lives of those who live here.”
The declaration is a formal commitment made by its signatories to provide benefits for the local community before, during and after construction of the new hospital, with the goal of supporting economic growth and new job opportunities. Signatories include West Park, EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare, Infrastructure Ontario, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Toronto Community Benefits Network and the United Way Greater Toronto.
The next step is for all the partners to develop a Community Benefits and Apprenticeship Plan, which may include training and employment opportunities, opportunities for local businesses and social enterprises, public access to the new landscaped pathways and some gardens, and new services for the community.
"It is encouraging to see the Ontario government is committed to including a community benefits approach to new types of infrastructure projects, like the West Park Health Centre project," says Rosemarie Powell, Executive Director of the Toronto Community Benefits Network. "At a time of rising income inequality across the City of Toronto, making sure that residents have access to strong economic opportunities and can benefit from the billions of dollars spent by the Ontario government on infrastructure investments has never been more important."
West Park recently broke ground for its new six-storey hospital, scheduled to open in 2023. EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare (EllisDon) has been awarded the fixed-priced contract to design, build, finance and maintain the new hospital. The contract is valued at $1.2 billion, which reflects the payments made during construction, the substantial completion payment, and the facility maintenance payments over 30 years.
“At EllisDon we proudly build in the communities we live in,” said Joey Comeau, Senior Vice President, EllisDon Capital. “The Community Benefits and Apprenticeship Plan will help us deliver on our continuous commitment to supporting and investing back into our local communities and neighbourhoods by providing individuals, families, and businesses with opportunities that will directly benefit their lives.”
For questions or comments, please contact the Campus Development department at 416-243-3600 ext. 2111 or campusdevelopment@westpark.org.