Thursday, October 16, 2025
The Government of Ontario announced an investment of $50 million to support planning for the new Lake of the Woods District Hospital.
The province also announced an additional investment of $1.9 million to support the redevelopment and expansion of the Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care long-term care home, which will be located on the campus of care at the hospital.
“Our government is investing more than $60 billion to build hospitals across our province, so every community has access to quality care close to home,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Today’s announcement means the more than 30,000 patients from Kenora and the surrounding area who rely on the hospital every year will have access to world-class health care now and for generations to come.”
In addition to the province’s funding for the new hospital and long-term care home, the government invested $7.6 million to build the first-ever Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) suite in Kenora. The MRI suite at Lake of the Woods District Hospital is now fully operational and is proudly serving patients across Northwestern Ontario, including Kenora, Sioux Narrows and several First Nations communities.
“Our government is making historic investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system, ensuring that more people in Northwestern Ontario can connect to convenient care, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment to support advanced planning stages at Lake of the Woods District Hospital is an important milestone for the community as we work to expand critical programs and services residents rely on.”
Once opened, the new hospital will replace the current Lake of the Woods District Hospital, creating a larger, state-of-the-art hospital for Kenora residents to connect more people in the community to expanded medical services, including:
- Increased access to core programs and services, including a modernized emergency department, a mental health unit, and a transitional care unit
- Indigenous health spaces and ambulatory care spaces
- Expanded diagnostic imaging services, including space for Lake of the Woods District Hospital’s new MRI machine
- Renal and cancer care services
- Three operating rooms, a procedure room, a post-anesthesia recovery room, and a pre-admission clinic
- Enhanced infection prevention and control measures to ensure the health and safety of all patients.
“At the heart of the All Nations Hospital project and Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care Home is leadership and collaborative partnerships,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation and MPP for Kenora—Rainy River. “Through the guidance of all partnering nations, we are delivering the expanded care needed in Kenora, surrounding First Nations and beyond. This is truly a magnificent announcement for our region and I thank and congratulate everyone who will be building out this facility.”
Once completed, the new and expanded Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care home in Kenora will offer 160 safe, modernized beds (64 new and 96 redeveloped) that reflect the unique needs of the region’s Indigenous community. The project is in the planning phase and will be eligible for additional funding under the government’s new Capital Funding Program (CFP), with construction expected to begin next year.
“Our government is improving long-term care by building more homes, hiring more staff and protecting residents who reside in them,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Today marks a significant milestone for Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care and the nine First Nations communities it serves. Once complete, 160 people will have a new home where they can receive the care they need, when they need it.”
As a next step, the Ministry of Health is working with Lake of the Woods District Hospital to complete early planning for this project, including determining bed numbers and square footage. Once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded, a construction schedule will be confirmed.
“The Province of Ontario’s investment in a new hospital and campus of care in Kenora is a vital step toward modernizing our health infrastructure. More than that, it helps close the gap in health inequalities and brings essential care closer to home for the people of Northwestern Ontario. This commitment will yield benefits for decades to come for the health of our communities and the prosperity of our region,” said Cheryl O’Flaherty, president & CEO, Lake of the Woods District Hospital.
Featured image: (Government of Ontario)
