David McNeil, president and CEO of the largest hospital in northeastern Ontario, talked Monday about the health centre’s plans to more than double the size of the building. McNeil was guest speaker at the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting. He said the occupancy rate at Health Sciences North (HSN) is well above 100 per cent every day. “We have the second most acute emergency department in the Province of Ontario, as we measure the acuity of those patients,” McNeil said. “So it’s just the demand for care that’s driving the urgency (for the expansion) and we physically don’t have appropriate space for all of those patients.” He said HSN is an economic asset for Sudbury and the northeast, adding that the hospital aims to expand from 528 patient beds now to 782 by 2034. That’s an estimated 800,000-square-foot expansion. The project is awaiting approval by the Ministry of Health to move to the next stage. “We’ve done all the work that we need to do at this stage for the ministry. And really, we’re just literally waiting for the ministry bureaucracy to move it forward,” he told local media after the event. “The government is in a tough position right now because of the trade war, etc. So, all of these things play into government decision-making.” There are still several hurdles to get through, including the price tag. The province will pay 90 per cent of the capital construction cost. McNeil said the hospital would need to fundraise the remaining 10 per cent, as well as for all the equipment and furniture. “As we advance more into the planning, we’ll be able to provide much more precise numbers,” he said. During the summer of 2025, HSN said it was negotiating with its neighbour, the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club, to purchase a little more than 10 acres of land for the expansion. Once construction begins, McNeil told the crowd it would take between four and five years to complete, hopefully by 2034. Chamber president Marie Litalien said the future of HSN is important for the business community because it plays into recruitment and retention of employees. “Health care is really sort of the first thing that people ask about when they’re looking to move here, or you know when they’re looking at a community,” Litalien said. “Schools, health care, those are really important to people’s quality of life.” Also at the AGM, the chamber presented a lifetime membership to Andy McClellan, who’s been a member since 1999 and devoted decades to supporting local organizations, festivals and community initiatives.
