Ontario government spending $18.6M to expand Barry’s Bay, Ont. hospital

Sylvia Jones arrives for a cabinet swearing-in ceremony in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The Ontario government says construction is underway to expand the emergency department and ambulatory care clinic at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Renfrew County.

The 20-bed community hospital in Barry’s Bay, Ont., west of Ottawa, is getting an $18.6 million investment from the province to expand access to care in the region.

“By investing in a new and expanded St. Francis Memorial Hospital emergency department, we are making it faster and easier for more people and their families to access high-quality emergency and ambulatory care in their community, for years to come,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, in a news release.

The project will add approximately 6,000 square feet of space to the hospital, the government says, which will accommodate nearly 12,000 visits per year, when complete.

The hospital currently serves approximately 10,000 people living in Renfrew County, and South Algonquin Township in the District of Nipissing and Algonquin Park. It is the only emergency department between Pembroke and Huntsville.

The expanded hospital will offer:

• A dedicated isolation room equipped with negative air pressure to keep patients safe by preventing the spread of airborne infectious diseases
• A new entrance for ambulances to use, improving patient flow
• Quiet room space for mental health patients and families
• An upgraded trauma area to ensure timely responses to emergencies
• Improved infection prevention and control measures

Construction is scheduled to be completed in March 2027. The province says patients will continue to have 24/7 access to the emergency department during construction.

“This project supports the hospital vision to be a leader in health services that are patient centred, integrated and responsive to rural community health needs,” said St. Francis Memorial Hospital president and CEO Suzanne Madore, in a release.