About Us

New Hospital

We’re advancing healthcare in our community with a new Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. With your help, we will ensure our new hospital is ready to best serve the future needs of patients, families and our community.

Latest Project News

June 11, 2026

Letter to the Community: Growing Together for Patients, Students, and the Communities We Serve

To the residents of Orillia and surrounding communities,

Orillia stands at a defining moment in its history. We write to you today as leaders of two of Orillia’s anchor institutions, Lakehead University and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH), united by a shared vision and ready to shape an exciting future together.

Individually, the futures of our organizations are strong. Together, they present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the long-term health, growth, and success of Orillia and Simcoe County by bringing education, healthcare, research, and community life together in service of the region.

Lakehead and OSMH are moving forward with major redevelopment initiatives to meet the needs of a rapidly growing region. OSMH has received provincial approval to proceed with planning for a new, state-of-the-art hospital, supported by a planning grant received last spring. At the same time, Lakehead is expanding its presence in Orillia through a new $45-million academic building, strengthening its role as a hub for education, research, and community engagement.

What makes this moment truly exceptional is the opportunity to grow together—strengthening both our organizations while creating lasting benefits for the communities we serve.

What Does This Mean?

After a comprehensive site evaluation process led by a renowned engineering and architecture firm, and overseen by a task force that included community stakeholders, the Lakehead Orillia campus was chosen as the preferred location for the new hospital. The site was selected because it is easy to access, has sufficient land for future development, and fits well with the City’s long-term growth plans.

Co-locating a new hospital together with an expanded university campus also creates unique and exciting opportunities to meet peoples needs:

Modern and improved infrastructure to support increased patient volumes, capacity and programs
Expanded access to core healthcare programs and services including critical care services and inpatient beds
Shared resources and spaces that support learning, research, and community service
Enhanced pathways for local students to pursue well-paying careers in emerging healthcare fields
Stronger alignment with community needs, especially in addressing the region’s growing demand for healthcare professionals
More hands-on training opportunities, including placements and co-ops, for students

Bringing OSMH and Lakehead together is also a significant investment in Orillia’s economic future.

Today, OSMH supports approximately 1,600 jobs and generates an estimated $175 million for the local economy. Based on an economic impact study commissioned by the City of Orillia, the new hospital is anticipated to increase this economic contribution by 50%, exceeding $260 million in today’s dollar. Combined with Lakehead’s existing $355 million annual economic contribution to Orillia, this partnership will be a significant driver of economic development, and has the potential to create one of the region’s most important public-sector innovation and employment hubs.

This vision represents more than new buildings.

It’s a strategic investment—hundreds of millions of dollars in combined infrastructure over the next decade—in Orillia, creating jobs and spin-off economy throughout the life of these projects. The long-term integration of healthcare, education, research, and student life will help attract talent, stimulate investment, support local businesses, and strengthen Orillia’s economic resilience for decades to come.

By working together–municipal leaders, community members, the university, and the hospital–Orillia can seize this moment and take a bold step forward.

The future is bright for our patients, our students, and the communities we serve.

We invite you to learn more at our Community Information Session on Thursday, June 18 at Lakehead’s Orillia campus. Drop in between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to learn more about our shared vision.

Thank you for your continued support.

Lawre Pietras
Chair of the Board
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital

Tom Roberts
Interim President and CEO
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital

Cathy Tuckwell
Chair, Board of Governors
Lakehead University

Dr. Gillian Siddall
President and Vice-Chancellor
Lakehead University

June 5, 2026

Deputy Premier/Minister of Health unveils Ontario Builds sign at preferred site of new OSMH as planning advances to next stage

Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is marking two significant milestones today in its progress toward building a new hospital with the installation of an Ontario Builds sign at the preferred site and confirmation from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ontario Health (OH) that the project has advanced to the next stage of capital planning.

“As a part of our $64 billion plan to get shovels in the ground for over 50 hospital projects across the province, our government is proud to support the development of a new, state-of-the-art Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, who was in attendance at the sign unveiling.

“Today’s announcement brings us closer to delivering enhanced patient capacity, world-class modern healthcare infrastructure, and expanded access to critical care services and inpatient beds, to meet the healthcare needs of Orillia and Simcoe County.”

The Ontario Builds sign, now installed along University Avenue, stands in front of a 25-acre parcel of land owned by Lakehead University that has been identified as the preferred location for the new hospital. The sign recognizes the Province of Ontario’s $3 million planning grant announced by Premier Doug Ford on May 23, 2025.

“The unveiling of the sign marks another exciting milestone in bringing this transformational project to life,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Simcoe North MPP.

“Following our government’s commitment to support planning for a new hospital, today’s announcement reflects the strong collaboration between OSMH, Lakehead University, and our community. This new hospital will help ensure families across Orillia and the surrounding region have access to modern, high-quality health care for generations to come. I am proud to continue working alongside our partners as we move this important project forward.”

In addition to the sign, OSMH announced it has received formal confirmation from the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health that the project has successfully advanced from Stage 1.2 (Proposal Development) to Stage 1.3 (Functional Program) within the province’s capital planning process. Advancement to Stage 1.3 represents a significant step forward and enables more detailed and advanced planning work, including the development of functional space requirements, project scope, and early design elements that will physically shape the new hospital.

“Reaching Stage 1.3 represents a major milestone in our redevelopment journey and reflects the strength of our planning work to date,” said Tom Roberts, OSMH Interim President and CEO. “With this approval, we move decisively into planning for a greenfield, new hospital co-located at the Lakehead University Orillia campus.”

The Chair of the OSMH Board of Directors, Lawrence Pietras said, “Today’s milestones reflect not only meaningful progress, but a shared commitment to the future of health care in our region. As a Board, we are focused on ensuring this new hospital is thoughtfully planned, financially responsible, and built to meet the needs of the communities we serve for decades to come. The support of our provincial and community partners gives us confidence that we are on the right path.”

The new hospital project remains in the planning phase, with ongoing collaboration involving the Province of Ontario, Lakehead University, healthcare partners, the City of Orillia, and the broader community.

Supporting Infinite Possibilities

The Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Foundation is thrilled to see the interest from our communities in supporting the future of healthcare and leaving their legacy toward a new hospital. To learn more about how we are supporting the current healthcare needs in our communities and investing in our future, please visit Infinite Possibilities – Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Foundation

If you are interested in making a donation toward the New Hospital Fund click here (Donate – Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation)

Community Engagement

Is your community group or organization interested in learning more?

Please reach out to info@osmh.on.ca to arrange a presentation at your meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will this project cost?

This will be a generational investment that will serve the community and region for decades. At this point, an estimated cost for the overall project has not been determined. Estimated costing will be established later in the capital planning process/once we are approved for a Planning grant as we determine the size and scope of the new hospital. We expect the total cost will be significant and comparable to other similar sized hospital projects in Ontario. The Province of Ontario is in the early stages of exploring the benefits of standardization of hospital construction projects to help offset costs, and we are actively engaged in that concept.

How could services change with a new hospital?

Based on our growing population, we expect to add more patient beds and expand acute care, complex continuing care, and rehabilitation programs. The planning grant will enable us to determine what services we will need in the decades to come, the best locations to deliver these services in collaboration with our community partners and design service models that leverage leading practices, technology and other innovations.

This is about creating the future of care in Orillia and area and beyond to ensure that our patients have timely access to high-quality, compassionate excellent care close to home.