April 1, 2008/- Kingston City Council made history April 1st when it passed a budget that includes a donation to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation to support the redevelopment of Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston General Hospital and Providence Care. The $16 million pledge, to be paid over 12 years, is the largest gift ever made to the hospitals.

“The City of Kingston and our hospitals have a partnership that goes back more than a century. With this donation from the City we have reached a major milestone in the greatest change in health care in a generation – the redevelopment of our hospitals. This donation is extraordinary not only because it is the largest we have ever received, but also because it comes from our longtime community partner, the City of Kingston,” said Roger Wright, Chair of the Foundation.

“Our Foundation, our hospitals and all the people we serve are truly grateful to Kingston City Council for showing true leadership on health care,” said Wright. “This decision will benefit all of Kingston – every neighbourhood, every street and every household. It will especially benefit the most vulnerable – the elderly, children, those suffering from cancer, people with mental illness and more. Through the redevelopment of our hospitals, they will enjoy superior health care services close to home and family instead of having to drive to Ottawa or Toronto.”

“Kingston City Council has recognized that financial support for our hospitals is an investment in the quality of life of our community. This investment not only supports health services here but will keep Kingston among the country’s leading progressive communities. Each citizen, young and old, will benefit from this endeavour,” said Kingston Mayor Harvey Rosen.

The Province has committed to pay for 90 per cent of eligible construction costs for redevelopment projects. The community is expected to contribute the remaining 10 per cent of the costs, as well as covering the entire cost of the equipment required. The cost of the community portion for the redevelopment of Kingston’s hospitals will likely amount to more than $50 million. The Province requires assurances that the community portion is secure before it will allow construction to begin.

The Foundation is looking for a total of more than $20 million from all municipalities served by the hospitals. The City of Belleville pledged $820,000 and the County of Hastings committed $654,000. The Township of Rideau Lakes made a donation to Kingston’s hospitals a few years ago. Other municipalities that have been approached for a donation include Brockville, Gananoque, Lanark, Leeds and the Thousand Islands, Lennox & Addington, Loyalist, Napanee, Perth, Prince Edward, Quinte West and Smiths Falls.

A survey by COMPAS Research showed that a huge majority of people across Southeastern Ontario wanted their municipalities to support the redevelopment of the university hospitals of Kingston. Some 85 per cent agreed that all levels of government, including local government, should make health care a priority responsibility.