It may be a surprise to learn that the rate of population growth for youth aged zero to 19 is nine times greater in the capital region than it is in Ontario as a whole. That fact is one of several that contributed to the decision on the part of the pediatric health centre to build a $459-million integrated treatment centre on its existing campus. Since its inception, CHEO has also seen a growth in its catchment area, which now serves Western Quebec, Northern Ontario and Nunavut, among others, says Steve Read, president and CEO of CHEO Foundation, and that’s another reason for the expansion.
“We all feel the effect of that population growth on wait times and access to care,” Read says. “So part of this expansion is required just to deal with higher volumes — and there’s also the fact that we’re dealing with a 50-year-old facility and medical issues that are much more complex than they were when CHEO first opened.”
The treatment centre is part of an $820-million capital redevelopment and campus expansion plan, which includes retrofits, modernization and upgrades to the existing infrastructure. The 220,000-square-foot integrated treatment centre is the single biggest piece and, as its name suggests, it will be a home for kids with complex medical, developmental, behavioural or mental health needs, and it will be the new home for the CHEO School.
“It will also consolidate many of our services into one location, which will make life significantly easier for families who currently are navigating a system that requires them to travel to the many satellite sites we have across the city,” Read says.
The project itself is also a boon to the city by injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. When it’s complete, it will be a key asset for CHEO in attracting new talent, new doctors, nurses, health professionals and researchers who will have a world-class facility in which to work.
“It will also be a key asset for the city of Ottawa. All of the major projects in Ottawa, including CHEO’s campus expansion, the new Ottawa Hospital Civic campus, Lansdowne Park, the new Main Ottawa Public Library and the future relocation of the Ottawa Senators downtown make the city a stronger candidate for attracting corporate investment, economic development and tourism,” Read says. “CHEO’s redevelopment is a big contributor to building a healthy community. And from our point of view, there’s nothing that leads to a healthy community down the road more than having healthy children today.”
This article first appeared in the Spring 2025 special “City Building” issue of the Ottawa Business Journal. That publication is available in its digital edition below:
