Groups divided over where to build new Trenton Memorial Hospital health hub

Hospital executives and advocacy groups fighting to maintain services at Trenton Memorial Hospital (TMH) are split over where to build a multi-million-dollar health hub that would offer integrated services with the hospital.

“My responsibility is to make sure I’m using provincial taxpayers’ money the best way possible, so they need to understand that there is a risk here,” said Paul Huras, CEO of the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

Part of that risk is building on contaminated land. The site adjacent to the hospital on Catherine Street has been flagged after environmental testing found higher than acceptable levels of metals and other contaminants.

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The estimated clean-up costs could be in excess of $760,000 and that figure could quickly balloon depending on what crews find during the cleanup, as the site is a former dump and quarry.

“You don’t know what you’re really getting into,” Huras said. “This project has been delayed a fair bit… just because it’s a process, and we want this built.”

But an advocacy group fighting to maintain services at the hospital says more testing should be done before the site is shelved.

“It’s the logical spot for the size of the land,” said Michael Cowan, chair of the Our Trenton Memorial Hospital group.

Community Health Centre on Murphy Street is another potential spot for the health hub. Officials say that site, located less than a kilometre from the hospital, would be much cheaper to develop.

But TMH isn’t on board. Hospital officials question the size of the lot and efficiency of constructing a three-storey building there.

“They’re going to be contained in a shoebox — that’s really what it is,” Cowan said.

LHIN executives are adamant the hub’s location will not have any impact on the future of the hospital. They hope to have a site recommendation for the health ministry next week.