Coalition urges Quebec to launch expansion work at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital

Advocates pushing for the modernization of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital is growing impatient with the CAQ and is calling for funding to begin construction.

A coalition advocating for the expansion and modernization of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital (HMR) in east Montreal says it is growing impatient with the CAQ government and is calling for funding to begin construction as soon as possible.

Frustrated by new cost-cutting measures imposed on the project, the Coalition HMR on Friday appealed to the candidates seeking to succeed François Legault as Quebec premier.

The coalition said Christine Fréchette and Bernard Drainville must “firmly commit to the construction of the new pavilion at HMR,” with a predictable sequence of investments over the next eight years.

The project has been scaled back several times over the past five years. The coalition says it now faces a further 15 per cent reduction in costs imposed on all projects in planning under the Programme québécois des infrastructures.

“We want to avoid the process of cuts that was underway. We want to make sure the project is completed as quickly as possible and that it is carried out in its entirety as originally planned,” Dr. Marc Brosseau, a pulmonologist and intensive care specialist at the hospital, said during a news conference outside the facility.

“Optimizations are acceptable, but intelligent optimization that does not undermine the final project,” he added.

Denis Cloutier, president of the Syndicat des professionnels en soins de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, also criticized what he called “optimization efforts that never end.”

“It’s really not complicated. Over the past year, all the efforts have been put into rationalizing rather than building the hospital. I’ll say it: the architects have worked enough. We want to see the excavators and we want to see the hospital go up,” Cloutier said.

Aging infrastructure concerns

Work on a new parking structure began last year. However, Brosseau said the hospital remains far from meeting the needs of residents in east Montreal and across Quebec.

A letter outlining three demands has been sent to the Finance Department, according to Jean-Denis Charest, president of the Chambre de commerce de l’Est de Montréal.

The letter calls for $300 million in the next budget from Eric Girard to launch the project, its full inclusion in the infrastructure program and the elimination of the 15 per cent cuts.

Brosseau reiterated that rebuilding the hospital is “an emergency,” noting ongoing problems linked to aging infrastructure.

Suzanne Plourde, a representative of the hospital’s users committee, said she sees the deterioration firsthand during her weekly visits.

“We see that it’s deteriorating. We’re not talking about numbers — we’re talking about basic sanitation. Today the government is prioritizing financial recovery at the expense of human urgency,” Plourde said.

Opposition parties weigh in

Representatives from opposition parties at the National Assembly attended the coalition’s news conference Friday morning to support its demands.

Charles Milliard, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, said he hopes to see funding included in the budget to be tabled Wednesday. He also drew a comparison between the hospital’s condition and the current government.

“There’s something in common between the current government and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital: both are being held together with wire. But the difference here is that Quebecers want to save Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital,” Milliard said.

About two hours before the coalition’s news conference, Fréchette said she would commit the necessary funding to complete the project if she becomes premier.

“I want to respect the planned timeline, because patients and medical teams can’t wait any longer. Quebec must deliver this project and I want this construction site to be a priority,” she wrote on the social media platform X.

The statement raised eyebrows among some MNAs standing with the coalition, including independent Rosemont MNA Vincent Marissal.

“I don’t know what Ms. Fréchette has in mind. She says she will respect the timeline. We are already two years behind schedule,” he said.

Catherine Gentilcore of the Parti Québécois also called it “disappointing” that the situation is nearly unchanged a year after the launch of the coalition.

“Enough fooling around with the HMR project. The project absolutely must be fully included in the PQI,” she said.

Guillaume Cliche-Rivard of Québec solidaire urged the government to double the budget for health infrastructure by recovering federal funds without conditions.

“It’s time to stop putting these projects on pause,” he said.

The Coalition HMR includes users, employees of the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and the foundation of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 13, 2026.