A local mayor is looking for an update on the new hospital being built.
Essex mayor Sherry Bondy will be asking County Council to have a representative of the new hospital attend a future meeting to explain the current stage of construction, and share what health care services will be offered.
At the end of December 2024, it was announced that the project is ahead of schedule, and that a request for proposal was issued for a construction manager to lead Phase 1 of the "mega-hospital" project.
Bondy says as the county sets aside money for this project, she would like to receive an update on the build.
In the 2025 budget, County Council approved a $7-million investment toward the county's $100-million commitment to the new hospital. By the end of 2025, Essex County has set aside $57-million.
Bondy says it needs to be in writing that the county wants to speak with a representative for an update.
"I want to make sure that we are doing our thorough job as County Councillors to say 'hey, come talk to us, are we on schedule, and is the amount of money that we originally committed to - which was $100-million - are we on track for that? Are you needing more? Are you needing less due to inflation?'. I certainly don't want to be blindsided."
She says there are many unanswered questions.
"I have a lot of questions about capacity, also what does it mean when we're done building the mega hospital? Are we closing the hospital downtown? What does that mean for response rates for individuals that need acute care in the downtown core? There's just so many unanswered questions."
Bondy says she doesn't feel that the county has a strong relationship with the hospital committee.
"We want to be a working partner and make sure that we're all planning for EMS, planning for growth. If we're not building for capacity, then how can local municipalities in the county continue to grow, grow, grow, and increase our population down here when we don't have the hospital or healthcare population."
Bondy is looking to have a hospital representative speak to County Council by mid-2025.
The cost of the hospital was estimated to be $2-billion 10 years ago. Hospital officials say construction is on track to begin by 2026, if not sooner.
County Council will meet tonight at 6 p.m.