BRANTFORD, Ont. — Ontario has opened a new and expanded emergency department at Brantford General Hospital, backed by a $28-million provincial investment aimed at increasing treatment capacity, reducing wait times and improving access to emergency care for more than 50,000 patients who use the department each year.
The expanded facility, operated by Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS), is more than 7,000 square feet larger than the hospital’s previous emergency department. The project forms part of Ontario’s broader plan to invest approximately $64 billion in health infrastructure over the next decade, including more than 50 major hospital projects across the province.
“Our government is making historic investments to expand emergency department capacity across the province, including investing $28 million to build a new and expanded emergency department right here in Brantford,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The new and expanded emergency department at Brantford General Hospital will reduce wait times, increase capacity and deliver faster, high-quality emergency care for patients and families for years to come.”
Expanded Emergency Department Adds Treatment and Patient-Care Capacity
The new emergency department includes expanded treatment rooms intended to support faster patient assessments, along with a dedicated extended-stay area and an improved walk-in arrival area.
The facility also provides additional mental health safe rooms, a larger observation area and a dedicated ambulance arrival and off-loading zone. A new Indigenous Family Space has been established adjacent to the emergency department.
The expansion is designed to address demand in a regional health system serving a growing population. BCHS operates 330 beds across two sites and provides health-care services to more than 150,000 residents in Brantford, the County of Brant, Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Services offered by the health system include pediatric, mental health and critical care.
Hospital Expansion Receives Community and Provincial Support
“I am so pleased to see this expanded and improved Emergency Department at the Brantford General Hospital. The details, like natural lighting, dedicated staff spaces to re-group and take a break from a very challenging job, to nearly doubling the square footage of work space will be only parts of the improvements to the emergency care our community will benefit from. Well done.”
– Will Bouma
MPP for Brantford—Brant
In addition to the provincial funding, the BCHS Foundation and its donors contributed more than $8 million toward the emergency department project.
“We are deeply grateful to the Government of Ontario for contributing more than $28 million toward this important project and for its ongoing support of Brant Community Healthcare System. This transformation will fundamentally improve how emergency care is delivered in our hospital, supporting high-quality, patient-centred care. We are also grateful to the BCHS Foundation and its generous donors for contributing more than $8 million in support of the project, demonstrating a shared commitment to strengthening care close to home.”
– Bonnie Camm
President and CEO, Brant Community Healthcare System
Ontario Directs Additional Funding to Brantford Hospital Infrastructure
The emergency department project follows nearly $16 million in provincial funding for critical upgrades and repairs at Brantford General Hospital. Those investments are intended to address priority infrastructure requirements and maintain access to essential hospital services.
Ontario is also providing more than $15 million toward planning and construction work for a new Brant Community Healthcare System hospital. The proposed project is expected to expand capacity and services while helping the regional health system respond to future patient demand.
For the 2026-27 fiscal year, BCHS is receiving an additional $2.44 million through Ontario’s Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund to address critical infrastructure requirements.
Province Plans More Than 50 Major Hospital Projects
Across Ontario, the government plans to invest approximately $64 billion in major health infrastructure over the next 10 years. The program includes more than 50 major hospital projects that are expected to deliver approximately 3,000 additional hospital beds.
Those beds would be in addition to approximately 3,500 beds the province says it has added since 2020.
Ontario is also investing more than $281 million during 2026-27 for infrastructure upgrades and repairs at 126 hospitals and 67 community health-care facilities. That represents a 9.4 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
The opening of the expanded Brantford emergency department adds immediate capacity while longer-term hospital development continues, with provincial and community funding being directed toward modernizing facilities and improving access to health-care services across the Brantford region.