Bowmanville Hospital re-development campaign “urgently” needs support

With less than two years to go until ground-breaking the campaign to fund the re-development of the Bowmanville Hospital has reached a “critical juncture” and is “urgently” seeking support from the community to finish the job.

The ambitious campaign goal of the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation is to raise the community share of the $110 million needed for the redevelopment, expansion and equipment needs of the hospital.

“Now is the time for Clarington and the Region to come together as one to support a much needed project for our community and across Durham Region,” said Frank Cerisano, Chief Executive Officer of the foundation. “It is our responsibility to support our hospital, and to take the necessary steps to ensure we meet our community share.”

The planned expansion and redevelopment will increase the hospital’s capacity to 178 beds to meet the growing needs of the community, along with improvement and expansion of the renowned Regional Eye Centre, modernized patient rooms and treatment facilities, a new Emergency Department, a new Ambulatory Care Centre and a Hemodialysis Centre that will provide life-saving treatment closer to home.

The We Care, We Can campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in the foundation’s history, was launched in 2019 to raise funds for the redevelopment. The expansion was prompted by the growing population in Clarington that has led to increased demand for health-care needs, stretching the current resources to the limit.

The campaign is designed to empower local businesses and community organizations to support the foundation’s campaign efforts. Through local initiatives, the goal is to build awareness around the We Care, We Can campaign while raising funds for the hospital.

The re-development is something the community “truly deserves,” said campaign Chair Kirk Kemp. “The long-awaited dream of an expanded and redeveloped hospital is finally within reach,” he declared. “After nearly 30 years of waiting, we are now closer than ever to turning this vision into reality. I firmly believe that united as one, we can achieve extraordinary outcomes for our community.”

“Together, we can inspire our loved ones, friends, and colleagues to actively engage and support our mission.”

The re-development project has been top of mind in Clarington for many years and got a big boost when funding was promised by Queen’s Park in the 2019 budget. That same year the Municipality of Clarington gifted the hospital $5 million and in 2021 the Province threw in another $2.5 million for planning. The Region of Durham also included a dedicated levy of .25 per cent in the 2022 budget, which converts to about $1.9 million, after chipping in more than $37 million the previous year.

The plan got a big boost just over a year ago when the Province expedited the expansion by moving the project to Stage 2 of the planning process, which put shovels in the ground by 2025.

The campaign got an even bigger boost last month when it was announced the estate of Harry Locke, a former Bowmanville businessman and longtime Standardbred racehorse owner, had gifted the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation $3.8 million – the largest planned donation in the foundation’s history.

You can donate by visiting www.bowHF.com or calling (905) 623-3331.