Editor's Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version to include reaction about the announcement.
MOOSONEE - With the federal government reaffirming its commitment to a new hospital on the James Bay coast, and the province adding extra cash, Dr. Elaine Innes is optimistic about what lies ahead.
The Weeneebayko General Hospital chief of staff was one of the people taking part in a provincial announcement today in Moosonee. It reaffirmed that the federal government is providing $1.24 billion to redevelop the hospital in a remote area of Northern Ontario.
For Ontario's part, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones announced $44 million for the design and early works construction. It's in addition to the $1.36 billion the province has already committed to the project.
“The redevelopment of the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority is critical to ensuring those living in the Western James Bay and Hudson Bay Coast areas can access care and we are doing everything we can to keep this project on track," said Jones in a news release.
Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu also made a funding announcement today about WAHA. It was held in Ottawa, with no live stream or option for people to participate who aren't in Ottawa, which is nearly 800 kilometres from Moosonee. The notice says Hajdu was joined by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse.
"This marks a significant step forward in fulfilling a longstanding promise. However, the delay in prioritizing the health and well-being of First Nations highlights the urgent need for culturally informed care that upholds First Nations inherent and Treaty rights and our right to self-determination," said Woodhouse in a federal news release.
"Moving forward, we expect the government to continue fulfilling its commitments to First Nations by ensuring transformative change towards First Nations-led health care programs and services. This includes sustainable funding, increased capacity and improved healthcare facilities that are strengths-based and culturally informed.”
While the the anticipated $3-billion project has been in the works for over 15 years and construction has started, funding was not included in this year's federal budget.
When leaders in the area couldn't get answers about the cash, a public advocacy campaign started in hopes of having the federal government keep its commitment.
At the Moosonee announcement, WAHA president and CEO Lynne Innes said late Friday she received a letter from Hajdu reaffirming that the federal government would provide its full share of the project cost.
The current hospital was built as an "Indian hospital" for tuberculosis in 1950 — 74 years ago — on Moose Factory Island, which is across the Moose River from Moosonee, in a remote area of Northern Ontario.
It serves over 12,000 people from Omushkego communities from Moose Factory in the south to Peawanuck in the north.
Construction of the new hospital started in January 2023, with a groundbreaking ceremony on the site.
The designs for the new hospital include 36 in-patient beds in private rooms, a surgical suite, a 32-bed elder care lodge, and up-to-date primary care, dialysis facilities and housing for staff. Thirty staff units have already been built.
Moving the hospital to Moosonee on the mainland puts it closer to the airport, where patients being flown in from communities along the James Bay coast land.
Right now, when patients land in Moosonee, they are transferred to the Moose Factory by ice road, barge, or helicopter.
The current facility is the oldest non-renovated hospital in Canada.
Long-term care patients are living in the main hospital because there’s no facility in the region.
Patients needing services such as obstetrics have to travel far from home to receive care.
It still has the original boiler, and the roof is a concern.
The building has crumbling concrete, and water damage throughout the halls. There is no elevator, and the ramps to transport patients are too steep for current safety standards, Elaine Innes previously told TimminsToday.
With federal funding restored, the WAHA can proceed with the contractors on site.
Moose Cree First Nation Chief Peter Wesley said the community is happy about today’s news.
“We were quite concerned not having Canada fully commit,” he said. “Today’s announcement was received very well by the community.”
Wesley said that during some late-night conversations, they were able to keep the current contractors on the project with the assurance that federal funding would be available.
“They had some late-night discussions over the weekend, and the contractor was part of those discussions,” he said. “The confirmation received that it was coming was enough for him to stay.”
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus said the federal government’s funding for the new WAHA facilities should never have been in question.
“We never should have been put in this situation where the government walked away on its commitment, created an enormous amount of uncertainty, and had to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the table,” said Angus. “I’m really glad that the funding is in place, but this is an unnecessary citation to have happened.”
He said the NDP has been working behind the scenes to ensure the Liberal government kept its word on this project.
“We were not going to move forward any legislation untl they put that money back on the table for WAHA,” he said. “There was an extraordinary amount of pressure on the government and I’m just glad they’re doing the right thing at this point.”
Wesley said there hasn’t been any word on why the funding wasn’t included in the budget.
“We just kept asking, Canada, come on, we need you here,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to mobilize as a community and a region to keep that pressure on Canada.”
Wesley said there would be some minor delays in the project.
“They’re going to need to revisit the work schedule to see how much this pushed them back, but from what I’m hearing, it won’t have too great of an impact,” he said.
