Province says new facility will improve emergency care access for more than 70,000 patients annually
TORONTO —
The Ontario government has officially opened a new ambulatory care centre at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, part of a broader provincial effort to expand hospital capacity and modernize health-care infrastructure across Ontario.
The new care centre, located within the hospital’s emergency department, was created through the renovation of the historic Shuter Wing and supported by a provincial investment of $204 million. According to the Ministry of Health, the expanded facility is expected to serve more than 70,000 walk-in patients annually while helping reduce pressure on emergency services in downtown Toronto.
The project forms part of Ontario’s long-term health infrastructure strategy, which includes approximately $64 billion in investments toward more than 50 hospital projects over the next decade.
“Our government is making historic investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system, ensuring that more people can connect to convenient care in their community,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We are excited to celebrate the opening of this new care area at St. Michael’s Hospital, building vital emergency care capacity for Toronto and helping more families get connected to world-class care close to home.”
Expanded facility designed to ease crowding and improve patient flow
The new ambulatory care centre includes a dedicated walk-in entrance, a separate waiting area for ambulatory patients, private examination rooms, a confidential discharge suite and a centralized caregiver pod. Provincial officials say the redesigned layout is intended to streamline care delivery for patients who do not require hospital admission, helping reduce congestion in emergency departments.
The opening also marks another milestone in the broader Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower project at St. Michael’s Hospital. The redevelopment includes five new operating rooms equipped to integrate advanced imaging technologies such as MRI, CT and X-ray systems.
Additional upgrades planned for the hospital include expanded facilities for orthopedic surgery, oncology, coronary care and respirology services.
“Today marks a very exciting milestone for St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, and the patients and communities we serve. The expanded and redesigned BMO Ambulatory Care Area of our Slaight Family Emergency Department helps reduce crowding and shorten wait times by streamlining care for people who do not need a hospital bed. It also helps patients receive safer, faster, and higher-quality care from the moment they arrive. This project strengthens our hospital’s ability to deliver world-class trauma, emergency and specialized care to patients from downtown Toronto and across Ontario. Thank you to the Government of Ontario and our generous donors for bringing this important project to life.”
- Altaf Stationwala
President and CEO, Unity Health Toronto
Province continues broader hospital infrastructure expansion
Alongside the ambulatory care centre project, Ontario is investing more than $15 million to support the planning, design and implementation of a relocated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Michael’s Hospital.
The new NICU facility, expected to be completed by summer 2027, will relocate the hospital’s bassinets to a larger space within the new patient care tower. The project involves renovations covering more than 12,000 square feet and is intended to improve access to neonatal intensive care services for critically ill newborns and their families across the Toronto region.
The government said the investments align with its broader strategy under “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care,” which focuses on expanding and modernizing Ontario’s hospital network.
As part of Budget 2026, the province announced an additional $1.1 billion investment into Ontario’s hospital sector, representing a four per cent increase in annual support for the fourth consecutive year.
Ontario is also investing more than $1 billion toward the redevelopment and expansion of Unity Health Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre, including construction of a new patient care tower and upgrades to existing hospital facilities.
The province said its long-term infrastructure plan aims to add approximately 3,000 new hospital beds over the next decade while improving access to care across Ontario.
In addition, Ontario has allocated $257 million in 2025-26 for infrastructure upgrades and repairs at 126 hospitals and 66 community health-care facilities provincewide. Unity Health Toronto is also receiving $11 million through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund to support ongoing capital improvements at its hospitals.