Significant donation gives boost to RVH expansion plans

RVH Foundation launches historic campaign The RVH Foundation launched a historic new fundraising campaign.

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie received a significant boost toward its future expansion plans.

On Wednesday, the Carpenters' Regional Council and its Local Unions, Local 27 and Local 675, made a $1 million donation to the RVH Foundation's Keep Life Wild campaign.

The generous donation puts a major dent in the foundation's lofty $100 million goal to support the future of health care in the region.

"Our government partners look for a demonstration of this kind of community support when making decisions about hospital funding and our ability to move to the next phase of planning. This gift strongly signals that the community stands behind our vision to increase access to the lifesaving, specialized care only we can provide," stated RVH President and CEO Gail Hunt in a news release.

The money will go towards constructing a new health-care facility in Innisfil that, once completed in 20 years, will be as large as the Barrie facility.

The funds will also help double the size of the existing hospital in Barrie to accommodate the growing community.

The Keep Life Wild campaign is expected to run for 10 years. However, Hunt has previously said some immediate programs, such as the ICU and maternal and child expansions, would be completed sooner.