News Releases
BMO Financial Group has made a generous $400,000 investment in the It's Our Time Campaign to support the delivery of “close-to-home” health-care services in the Niagara Region. The announcement was made today to NHS staff, health professionals, and It's Our Time Campaign fundraising volunteers gathered at the Ontario Street Site (OSS) of the NHS this morning.
Funds raised through the It's Our Time Campaign will enable new regional health-care services for the treatment of cancer, heart disease, and mental health for all Niagara residents, as well as an expanded kidney disease treatment program. Funds will also support the new acute care local community hospital for residents of St. Catharines, Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake and immediate area, replacing the existing St. Catharines General and Ontario Street Sites.
“At BMO Financial Group, we recognize the importance of healthcare in the Niagara Falls region,” said George Heisz, Hamilton District Vice President of BMO Financial Group. “Helping bring healthcare close to home means briging excellent care to patients and building a stronger and healthier community.”
“BMO Financial Group's generous donation not only supports patients who deserve close-to-home care, it will provide state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for the skilled and dedicated doctors, nurses and health professionals who currently provide excellent care at our NHS sites, who are making the most efficient use of the resources available in our region,” said Dr. William Shragge, NHS Chief of Staff.
“We are delighted to accept this generous donation from BMO Financial Group to the It's Our Time Campaign. In recognition of BMO's support in bringing new regional services to Niagara, the Maternal Waiting Area in the new health-care complex will be named in honour of BMO Financial Group,” said Mark Sherk, North Niagara Campaign Co-chair.
The submissions proposing how the hospital could be designed, built, financed and maintained will be received from the three pre-qualified bidding teams later this spring. The NHS, along with Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will evaluate the bids based on a variety of criteria.
“The project is continually gaining momentum. Following the selection of the preferred bidder this fall, we will negotiate a final contract and will be breaking ground on the First Street and Fourth Avenue property by the end of this year,” explained Gloria Kain, NHS Chief Planning and Development Officer.
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L-R: John Beyer, Co-Chair Niagara Falls Campaign Team; Boyd Hamblin, Personal Banking Area Manager BMO Bank of Montreal; Betty-Lou Souter, Chair NHS Board of Trustees; Dr. Bill Shragge, NHS Chief of Staff; George Heisz, Hamilton District Vice President BMO Bank of Montreal; Mario Ferrara, President Niagara-on-the-Lake Hospital Foundation; Debbie Sevenpifer NHS President & CEO; John Veeneman, Director SCGH Foundation; Mark Sherk, Co-Chair North Niagara Campaign Team; Ron Hogan, Vice President BMO Nesbitt Burns; Sandra Wilkes, Campaign Director North Niagara Campaign Team and Executive Director SCGH Foundation; Marco Marrone, Chair, NHS Foundation.