Redeveloping the Bowmanville Hospital

Lakeridge Health is proud to announce the official opening of the interim helipad in Bowmanville, a key milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance health care for Durham Region.

For over 30 years, Bowmanville Hospital’s helipad was used to transfer critically ill patients to other acute care facilities. After it was closed in 2018 due to safety concerns, Lakeridge Health worked closely with Ornge, and various municipal, regional, provincial and federal partners to secure a new location, funding, and obtain the necessary approvals for an interim helipad for Bowmanville.

The Municipality of Clarington generously provided Lakeridge Health with access to its property at 1150 Haines Street for the interim helipad located less than five minutes away from the Bowmanville Hospital. This site has undergone comprehensive feasibility assessments and after successfully passing various rigorous safety tests, Transport Canada officially certified the site.

The opening of the interim helipad marks another significant milestone in Lakeridge Health’s mission to enhance patient care and ensure that the integrated, regional system of care meets the evolving needs of the people of Durham Region. This interim helipad will support emergency air transportation until the permanent rooftop helipad is completed, a key component of the Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment plan.

The redeveloped hospital will usher in a new era of health care in the Durham Region, featuring expanded critical care services, state-of-the-art facilities like an Ambulatory Care Centre and a Haemodialysis Centre, and a doubling of the hospital's size.

The interim helipad is one of many recent achievements in this redevelopment journey. Last month, the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued to identify project teams with the expertise and capacity to design, construct, and finance this transformative project.

Lakeridge Health is excited to share this significant achievement with the community at a future event. Please stay tuned for upcoming details.

Lakeridge Health and Infrastructure Ontario have achieved a key milestone in the Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment by issuing the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the project.

The RFQ marks the initial step in selecting a team to deliver the project, which will nearly double the size of the current hospital and significantly enhance access to quality health-care across the Durham Region.

The RFQ will help identify project teams that have the necessary design expertise, along with the construction and financial capacity, to undertake a project of this size and complexity. Following the submission of qualifications, Lakeridge Health and Infrastructure Ontario will partner to review and shortlist qualified teams. These teams will be invited to respond to a request for proposals (RFP), which is expected to be released in early 2025.

Throughout this procurement process, Lakeridge Health will continue with its pre-construction activities including engagement with patients, staff, volunteers, partners, and the Durham Region community to gather input on the specifications for the redeveloped hospital.

Once complete, the redeveloped Bowmanville Hospital will usher in a new era of health-care delivery in the Durham Region. This historic project will expand critical care services and introduce modern, patient-centred facilities including private and bariatric rooms, new ambulatory care clinics, and a Haemodialysis Centre.

Read the full announcement here.

In an exciting milestone, Lakeridge Health is pleased to announce Stantec has been selected to lead the Planning, Design, and Compliance (PDC) aspects of Lakeridge Health’s Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment.

Hospital design and construction is complex, and the Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment project will be one of Lakeridge Health’s largest redevelopment projects to date. As a key partner and collaborator, Stantec’s PDC team will work hand-in-hand with Lakeridge Health to further develop the site master plan and prepare key documents, including project-specific design output specifications. These documents will form the guidelines and performance requirements that the successful building team must meet when preparing its design. The PDC team will also monitor construction progress and provide coordination and oversight during the commissioning and completion of the project.

Once the planning, design and compliance aspects are completed, Lakeridge Health and Infrastructure Ontario will issue a request for qualifications for a build partner to design, build and finance the project.

As part of Lakeridge Health’s ongoing commitment to fostering an environment in health-care that is accessible, inclusive and equitable for all, the redevelopment team is engaging community leaders from the early planning stages to ensure they are shaping a hospital that meets the needs of the diverse community it serves.

Currently, Lakeridge Health is actively engaging with 26 diverse user groups, including clinical teams, volunteers, and hospital administration, to gather input on the specifications for the redeveloped hospital. As we progress through 2024, these consultations will play a crucial role in developing comprehensive plans, refining clinical outputs, and creating advanced mock-up renderings of the hospital and its clinical spaces.

As momentum builds, the redevelopment team is eager to continue engagement opportunities with patients, community members, staff and partners. Through collaboration and meticulous planning, this redevelopment will transform health-care services for Bowmanville and beyond, elevating patient care and experience.

As the fundraising arm of the Lakeridge Health Bowmanville Hospital, the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation is responsible for raising the community share of $110.4 million through the We Care, We Can campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in the foundation’s history.

As the Awareness Initiative rapidly progresses, the foundation proudly announced Pankaj Panchal as the new chair of the We Care, We Can Awareness Initiative. In his new role as chair of the We Care, We Can Awareness Initiative, Pankaj will be instrumental in shaping the foundation’s strategic direction, nurturing partnerships, and championing initiatives that drive positive change in health-care.

• Bowmanville Hospital Redevelopment Community Newsletter - Fall 2025