New Niagara Falls hospital another step closer

(Update)

The new South Niagara Hospital is another step forward to being built. But many see the motivation as purely political. Health Minister Deb Matthews promised millions Monday afternoon for the first phase of the project. But critics question the timing with an expected by-election only weeks away.

Health Minister Matthews took the podium to announce her government was committing millions to move this new hospital project forward: I’m delighted to announce that we are committing a 26.2 million dollar planning grant to build a new hospital in South Niagara.”

And that two new urgent care centres would be built in the area as well.

P.C. Leader Tim Hudak has been a proponent of this project almost from day one. And questions the timing of Monday’s announcement: “It’s the right thing. I just worry this is more about politics than it is about health care.”

Niagara Falls P.C. candidate Bart Maves says the planning grant money was approved by the Liberal government at Queen’s Park back in November.

So what’s new here? Nothing. There’s an election. They’re just re-announcing the planning grant.

They even put a tarp back up on the billboard and pulled it down again with a line that the planning grant was approved.

Kevin Smith, the man who steered this new hospital project to this point, is getting a lot of credit from everyone: “Niagara is a complicated place. And the man who helped maneuver it through deserves to be applauded.”

Twenty six million is a lot of money. But people here were expecting more. A commitment from the Liberal government for its full share of the 750 million dollar project.