On June 23rd, 2023 joined by local MPPs Steven Clark and John Jordan, the Boards of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital, Foundation and community celebrated the official groundbreaking for the construction portion of the MRI installation at the Smiths Falls Site of the Hospital.
“This is an exciting time for the hospital,” said Gardner Church, Chair of the Hospital Board. “It will bring services directly to our community, increase access to vital services, and ensure that our hospital is well positioned for the future.” The ceremony celebrates the next stage of the construction process, with our first patient planned for October this year. The next milestone on the project will be lowering of the large magnet into its new home in August.
Kristine Fair, Chair of the Hospital Foundation, was enthusiastic about the progress being made, even with the $6.1 million cost that needs to be fundraised from the hospital catchment area. “This is more of a long-distance run than a race,” said Fair. Fundraising for the project began early in the new year, and Fair announced at the ceremony, that to date, “the Foundation has raised over $1,500,000 towards the project.” This included an anonymous $1 million donation, support of Tim Horton’s Cookie Campaign, Family Fun Day supported by Saumure Group of Companies, and a donation from the Knights of Columbus (3531) Perth.
“We look forward to moving forward with the installation, and welcome any support our community can provide,” said Fair.
