Orillia Recreation Centre designated as emergency evacuation site for Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital in new agreement with City of Orillia

Joint Release

(Orillia, ON) – The City of Orillia and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) announced today they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that designates the Orillia Recreation Centre (ORC) as the location where patients and staff would be transferred in the event of a partial or full evacuation of the hospital.

The MOU outlines the roles, responsibilities, and procedures to be followed should OSMH require the temporary relocation of a portion of its patient population due to a catastrophe such as fire, structural failure, or other emergencies that render the hospital partially or fully inoperable.  Hospital patients with less severe health issues would be the primary group of individuals transferred to the ORC, with more vulnerable patients experiencing more serious health issues remaining in place or immediately transferred to the closest available hospital.

“These are circumstances we hope never occur, but it’s comforting to know there is a plan in place that focuses on safety and continuity of care as a temporary measure in an emergency,” said Tom Roberts, Executive VP-Corporate Services and CFO for OSMH.

“We’re thankful to the City for their ongoing support, evidenced most recently by the use of the ORC during the 2025 ice storm, and the use of Rotary Place as an immunization centre during the pandemic.”

The Recreation Centre could be designated an evacuation centre in as little as an hour and remain operational for up to one week which would provide ample time for patients to be discharged or transferred to another hospital.

“In a worst-case scenario, it’s our understanding that the hospital may need to house upwards of 100 patients or more,” said Chris Ferry, Chief of the Orillia Fire Department.

“We are able to accommodate those numbers primarily by utilizing the gymnasium and other nearby spaces in the ORC to support patients, and staff providing care until other arrangements are made.”

Representatives from the City of Orillia and OSMH along with community first responders and other care providers staged a Mock Code Green exercise November 14^th at the ORC to explore how an evacuation from the hospital would transpire.

Orillia Fire Chief Chris Ferry (standing) discusses hospital evacuation plans with Tom Roberts, EVP-Corporate Services and CFO at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, during a mock training exercise at the Orillia Recreation Centre November 14th.

 A mock emergency training exercise at the Orillia Recreation Centre on November 14^th drew a large crowd of representatives from the City of Orillia, OSMH, First Responders, and community support groups.   The group played out a scenario involving an evacuation of patients and staff from the hospital to the ORC.