WAHA Urges Federal Government to Honor Funding Commitment for Moosonee Health Campus

The Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) is urging the Government of Canada to fulfill its financial commitment to a new health campus in Moosonee. On April 23, WAHA was informed that the federal funding for the project was not included in the 2024-2025 Federal Budget. This funding was expected based on a 2007 agreement where the federal government committed to covering 45% of the capital costs for the new campus.

The proposed health campus includes a hostel, staff housing, an Elder Care Centre, a new hospital in Moosonee, and an acute care centre on Moose Factory Island. The new hospital is intended to replace the Weeneebayko General Hospital, which was built in 1950 and is the oldest un-renovated hospital in Canada.

WAHA President and CEO Lynne Innes, along with several First Nations leaders and representatives from the Ontario Health Association, have called on the federal government to honor its previous commitments. The Ontario government has already committed to its portion of the funding for the project.

The redevelopment project has been in progress since 2019, with regular meetings held between WAHA, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Ontario. Despite this, the federal government did not include the necessary funding in its latest budget, causing delays in the project's second phase of construction, which was scheduled to begin in fall 2024.