Ford touches on RVH south campus expansion plans during Barrie visit

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ont. (CTV News)

During his visit to Barrie on Friday, Premier Doug Ford spoke about Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre's expansion plans for its south campus in Innisfil.

Ford said he believed the project would soon be able to move to phase two.

"We're working diligently both at RVH and Infrastructure Ontario to make sure that we build the best facility we possibly can with the amount of money that's allocated," the premier said while at the podium taking questions at the Southshore Centre on Friday.

RVH President and CEO Gail Hunt said she was encouraged to hear Ford's remarks.

"It was really great to hear the premier mention RVH and that he's positive about the future of our capital expansion, and they're looking it over, and he hopes to come back, he said, in the next few months for an announcement," Hunt said.

In 2021, hospital officials said the first phase of the Innisfil campus was expected to be built within 10 years. The site will focus on outpatient care and expand within 20 years to become a full-service hospital.

The health hub south of Barrie will be on an 83-acre site at the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Innisfil Beach Road.