Crews dig in for $223M expansion of Montreal's Lachine Hospital

A major makeover of Montreal's Lachine Hospital begins Tuesday with the construction of a new wing that will more than double the size of the entire facility.

The building's expansion will help turn it into a university hospitalwith better research capacity, technology and equipment.

The hospital hopes the modernization of its facilitywill make it more attractive to new doctors and nurses. For years, retaining health-care staff has been a challenge across Quebec, and that problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

"We're hoping it's going to be more attractive for human resources and people are going to be excited to come work here with a state-of-the-art facility," said Pierre-Marc Legris, the director of technical services at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

The expansion and renovation of the hospital will allow it to admit more patients and provide care for a larger portion of the West Island, which Dr. Patrick Merrett, a family physician at the hospital, says will be "very beneficial."

"I think the patients will definitely appreciate the physical environment of a new hospital and the better care that it can provide," he said.

A six-storey, 18,000-square-metrewing connected to the existing hospital which is about 15,000 square metres will be built in the parking lot. It will includeindividual patient rooms, a new palliative care unit, as well as emergency and operation rooms.

"With a larger number of beds with very comfortable rooms and nice exterior lighting, nice windows, a nice terrasse it's really going to be an experience for the patients with more comfort and larger spaces," said Legris.

William Mercer, one of Merrett's patients, said he's excited about the revamped hospital.

Mercer said his stay has gone wellbut the equipment is a bit old-fashioned and the hospital is constantly busy. He is one of few patients who has access to a private room.

"I'm alone in a room because I use a machine and there aren't many places for big people in the hospital," said. "They put me in a big room like this because the bed only fits in here."

The expansion and renovations are expected to be complete in 2027, and will cost about $223 million. The provincial government invested $210 million, the MUHC invested $10 million and the hospital foundation is fundraising a final $5 million for the project.

Two of the hospital's floors are also set to be renovated.

The Lachine Hospital got a lot of press late last year when it was forced to close its ERs overnight. It says the new funding will breathe new life into the hospital.

A few years ago, the entire hospital was going to be closed and transformed, said Maja Vodanovic, Lachine's borough mayor.

"There was a huge mobilization by the citizens saying 'No, no, no. We can't lose our hospital,' and so now this is proof that the hospital will remain," she said.

"To have the most performing hospital is what we want and it's what we're going to get."