SAM OOSTERHOFF
MPP - Niagara West
4961 King St. East, Unit M1, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 905-563-1755 • sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org samoosterhoffmpp.ca
I was born in the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in 1997, when the community was advocating to save the facility.
Now, as the doors open, it has been an incredible honour to have played a role in successfully advocating for this amazing new hospital.
When the former Liberal provincial government canceled the proposed build in 2012, it appeared that the game was over for our beloved hospital. But with strong support from the entire community, the need for a modern, world-class local hospital was heard at Queen‘s Park. In the autumn of 2018, our government announced the commitment to the new build we had
all been waiting and working for. In 2022, shovels went into the ground, and the physical work began.
Today, as the doors open in our beautiful new hospital, I am so thankful for the amazing frontline staff, community and municipal leaders, activists, donors, and dedicated volunteers who have brought us to this point. I want to especially acknowledge the tireless work of the Save and Rebuild WLMH team, as well as the WLMH Foundation and the WLMH Auxiliary for their contributions.
The journey is not over for our WLMH: in many ways, it is now just beginning. Onwards and upwards!
A message from Mayor Jeff Jordan and Grimsby Town Council regarding the opening of
on that we celebrate the near ng-awaited milestone re West Niagara community.
rt of our community – a rn at WLMH in 1962, and er, Ernie Barbour, served ur, and my mother, Judy ike so many in our arkable institution.
When the future of WLMH was uncertain, our residents raised their voices in a powerful outcry of support – a defining moment that proved just how deep to us all. That passion and determination helped move the dream concept to reality.
From the Premier’s 2018 commitment to rebuild, to breaking grou Hamilton Health Sciences officially taking ownership this Septe brought us closer to this extraordinary moment.
This new, state-of-the-art facility, with 55 private inpatient sustainable design features, and an 80% larger footprint – will Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, and beyond have access to excep generations to come.
As we look ahead to patients being welcomed later this fall, we gratitude – to Hamilton Health Sciences, our health care worker the Region of Niagara, and most importantly, our residents, who commitment made this possible.
On behalf of Town Council and the residents of Grimsby, I share and pride that this new hospital represents. Together, we have facility – we have strengthened the very heart of our community
Mayor Jeff Jordan
Page 6 – We Go From Rags To Riches - Opinion By Mike Williscraft
Page 8 – HHS Delivers On Institutional Pride By Tracey MacArthur, CEO
Page 10 – A new Beginning for WLMH By Dr. Joan Bellaire
Page 14 – WLMH Foundation: Philanthropic Heartbeat Of West Niagara By Joanne McDonald
Page 19 – New Procedure Room Improves Access, Wait Times
Page 23 – All Services Offered at WLMH: An Overview
Page 26 – Hospital Kitchen Opens Career Paths By Mike Williscraft
Page 35 – Expand Service, Offerings To Come At WLMH Auxiliary’s Coffee Shop
By Mike Williscaft
Page 40 – Expanded Space Creates New Educational Horizons
Page 47 – WLMH Greener, Safer
Page 50 – All In The Family: Roots Grow Deep By Mike Williscraft
Page 54 – Community At Heart of New Look, Feel By Cindy Toth
Page 60 – New Build Brings WOW! Factor
By Dr. Gary Benson
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This momentous occasion marks the culmination of years of vision, dedication, and tireless effort. The opening of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is a powerful reflection of what can be achieved through unity, perseverance, and the incredible support of our community. Thank You! To every donor, volunteer, healthcare worker, and advocate. Your commitment has built more than a hospital. You’ve built hope for generations to come.
Long, tough road leads to today
From a devastating 1948 fire to a glorious grand opening
By Mike Williscraft
When the shuttering of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital was first announced in 1996 the timing was perfect.
It was not perfect for the timing, it was perfect for the preservation fight.
And make no mistake, it was a fight.
If the same thing happened today, the way generations have been coached to “get along” and control emotions, don’t make waves, an announcement to lose Niagara West’s most important institution (by far) would have been met with, “meh...”
Luckily for all of us, that decision was met, repeatedly, by dedicated volunteers who were willing to do what needed to be done to get the time and attention of provincial officials and let them know, “We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore.”
Straight up anger was needed at the time. WLMH was down and counted out.
The plug was pulled. The docs called it (not our docs, the figurative docs).
Instead of rolling over, a group of volunteers formed the first Save Our Hospital Committee and started planning what proved to be a winning strategy in the basement board room of WLMH.
No idea was off the table.
Any possible stunt was considered to get attention. How many of you remember the “Health Bus”. With a big banner on the side, it could be seen parked anywhere around Niagara West as a reminder to all what we could lose.
People out in the trenches like Ken Hipkin, pounding “Save Our Hospital” lawn signs into frozen ground. Dozens of people going
door to door getting signatures on a petition. And, of course, the 15,000 strong who turned out to turn the tide on that now-legendary February night in 1997 at Grimsby Secondary School - that single event was the turning point in the months-long tussle.
What that initial effort did was keep the lights on. It did not improve the situation. The economic realities were still the same, but it did buy time, and that was crucial.
The next 15 years brought a couple of skirmishes and the hospital’s board of directors continued to manage serious economic pressure as best they could but in 2013 it was apparent a change had to be made, not to close, but to amalgamate. Niagara Health Systems was not really an option (thank God), so Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) was the choice.
It was not really a decision met with joy, rather resignation. It was a move that had to be done.
The relationship with HSS could be described as rocky, at best, at times. There have been lots of issues over the years. Even to get the rebuild initiative on the rails was a struggle at times and, yet, here we are.
It seemed important to highlight the struggle for those who may not understand or know about it - as there were incredibly dark and sad moments along this path to what is unfolding here, in November 2025.
And what is unfolding is great!
So, with that, let’s look forward....
If it was up to me, tomorrow’s Official Opening - Friday, Nov. 14 - would open with the Lincoln Concert Band playing Glen
Miller’s Little Brown Jug while scores of little brown jugs were passed through the crowd with some of Forty Creek Distillery’s finest provided to gas up the crowd.
Then I would give anybody who volunteered their time on any of the three Save The Hospital committees a moment at the microphone to express what they felt at that moment in time with a rebuild that many thought would never happen was about to open.
Then the appropriate dignitaries would have their say. Then U2 would come out and rock the place with “It’s a Beautiful Day” to close the show. That would lead into an after party that would go all night.
Now, what Niagara West is going to get is not that. It will be small - unfortunately - and very formal.
Too bad, because it should be a rockin’ party. This is a momentous occasion. Anyone who has moved to town in the last five years could never understand...and that’s ok...but the rest of us sure do.
This is a spectacular community event. Make no mistake about it. And I don’t want to make this a politically slanted offering, but it must be said. Premier Doug Ford got this rebuild done. MPP Sam Oosterhoff got him behind the project and once that was done, it was expedited and executed in record time and those efforts should always be met with thanks and appreciation.
So, enjoy your new hospital residents of Niagara West and I sincerely hope each and everyone one of you never have to use it - unless you’re having a baby, then go ahead :)
MIKE WILLISCRAFT
Investments in healthcare help Niagara Grow Better Together
The completion of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is a landmark achievement for the communities of West Niagara, and a symbol of what we can achieve when we Grow Better Together. The redeveloped hospital will markedly improve the quality of life and healthcare for residents across Niagara and beyond. Niagara Region thanks all the partners in this important project who have worked together to bring this new facility to life.
HHS carries its institutional responsiblities with pride: CEO
By Tracey MacArthur
The opening of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is a milestone for our region.
On behalf of Hamilton Health Sciences, thank you to all levels of government, our health and community partners, our staff and physicians, and the people of West Niagara for your trust and investment.
Hospitals are anchor institutions. We steady communities, support local economies, and care for people at every stage of life. At HHS we carry that responsibility with pride.
This hospital marks a new era of care for Grimsby and the surrounding communities. It affirms our commitment to
deliver exceptional, equitable, and forward-looking care close to home.
WLMH is more than a modern building. It sets a new standard for care in West Niagara. It shows what is possible when government, organizations, and communities work together with purpose.
in every detail. To our Foundation, donors, and community partners, your generosity turned promise into reality. And to the patients and families we serve, this hospital was built for you, with dignity, compassion, and respect at its core.
Designed for sustainability, innovation, and patient safety, it will serve a growing population for generations.
To our provincial, regional, and municipal partners, thank you for your support and investment. To the designers, builders, and planners, your craft shows
To our staff and physicians, your dedication from planning to opening day made this possible. Thank you.
Today we do more than open new doors. We open a stronger future for health care in West Niagara.
(Tracey MacArthur is the Chief Executiive Officer of Hamilton Health Sciences’ Board of Directors)
TRACEY MacARTHUR
The TSN turning point in the long, long road that was West Lincoln Memorial Hospital’s struggle to survive came when Premier Doug Ford showed up for a news conference in the facility’s basement and committed to seeing a new hospital happen for Niagara West. Williscraft - Photo
Ganann
A New Beginning for West LincolnMemorial Hospital
By Dr. Joan Bellaire
For decades, our community has dreamed of this moment.
We have waited patiently, planned carefully, and persevered through challenges to see a new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital rise from vision to reality. It is with great pride, excitement, and gratitude that I share what this next chapter means for all of us in West Niagara.
Our new hospital is not simply a modern building - it is a promise kept to our patients, our families, and our community. It is a reflection of who we are: a hospital built by and for the people we serve.
BUILDING ON A LEGACY OF CARING
As we open the doors to our new facility, what strikes me most is how much has changed, and how much has not. Yes, we now have bright new spaces, state-ofthe-art equipment, and expanded services transforming patient care. But the heart of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital remains the same.
Our caring culture, rooted in community connection, compassion, and collaboration, will continue to define every interaction, every decision, and every moment of care. We are still your neighbours, your family doctors, your nurses, your midwives,
and your specialists who live and work in the same community we serve. That sense of belonging and shared purpose is what makes WLMH truly special.
SPACE FOR HEALING AND BELONGING
From the moment you enter the new hospital, you will notice spaces reflecting our deep commitment to inclusion, comfort, and wellness.
We have created an Indigenous space and spiritual room, a peaceful environment for reflection, ceremony, and healing. This space recognizes the diverse spiritual and cultural traditions within our community and supports reconciliation through respect and connection.
Our expanded café and gift shop will include an adjacent outdoor patio when our legacy building is torn down. It provides a welcoming area for patients, families, and staff to gather, relax, and recharge. It’s more than a place for coffee, the café encourages human connection and community, values at the heart of our hospital.
A MORE PRIVATE, COMFORTABLE EMERGENCY EXPERIENCE
The new Emergency Department has been thoughtfully designed to enhance pri-
vacy, safety, and efficiency. Each patient will now be cared for in an individual room, a change providing dignity, confidentiality, and comfort during what can often be a stressful experience. The new environmentally controlled ambulance bay allows our paramedics to transfer patients in a temperature-regulated setting, ensuring safety and comfort in every season. These improvements will not only improve the patient and family experience but will also allow our dedicated emergency team to deliver care more seamlessly and effectively.
MODERN DIAGNOSTIC AND OUTPATIENT CARE
Our Diagnostic Imaging Department has expanded its capabilities in ways that will make a meaningful difference. The addition of a bariatric ultrasound space ensures accessibility and comfort for all patients. We’re also adding an extra echocardiogram suite for patients needing assessment for heart murmurs or other cardiac concerns. With these upgrades, we will be able to offer more stress-testing appointments, providing faster access for patients and reducing the need to travel outside our
Landscaping of the hospital site - fronting on Main Street East - will be the final step in the rebuild process.
DR. JOAN BELLAIRE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 community for timely cardiac assessments.
Our Outpatient Department hosts our major programs including Obstetrics (OBS), Internal Medicine, Surgery, Palliative Care, and Mental Health now under one roof. This unified approach means more coordinated care and easier navigation for patients and families.
A highlight of this space is our new procedure room, designed for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures previously conducted in the busy emergency department (ED). In the old hospital, patients often had to wait for a bed, sometimes for hours, with limited privacy. Now, these procedures can be scheduled at dedicated times in private, comfortable surroundings, greatly improving our patient’s experiences and freeing up capacity in the ED.
Another exciting addition is our Medical Day Care area, which will further lessen the pressure on our ED. Patients who require scheduled infusions, such as IV iron, IV antibiotics, or IVIG for chronic immune conditions, can now receive their treatments in a dedicated space. This new model enhances efficiency and ensures patients receive care in the right place, at the right time.
A HUB FOR LEARNING AND COLLABORATION
West Lincoln Memorial Hospital has always been a teaching community, and our new facility will strengthen that role. We are proud to offer two new conference rooms each accommodating up to 50 people. Additionally, a technology-enabled boardroom equipped with advanced video, intercom, and IT capabilities is available. These spaces will host teaching sessions, interdisciplinary meetings, and conferences, creating an environment where collaboration thrives and where the next generation of health professionals can learn and grow right here in West Niagara.
EXPANDED SURGICAL CAPACITY AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Our Surgical Department has expanded from two to three operating suites, plus a dedicated procedure room. This increase means we can perform more surgeries and offer a wider range of procedures closer to home.
In addition to our existing programs in general surgery, gynecology, and obstetrics, our surgical capacity will soon allow increased availability for plastic surgery for breast cancer reconstruction, ophthalmology strabismus surgery, and orthopedic spinal surgery. We are also looking forward to hosting urological procedures in the new year.
Looking ahead, as parking capacity increases in the coming years, we plan to introduce orthopedic arthroscopic sports surgeries, further enhancing our hospital’s ability to meet community needs locally and promptly.
WELCOMING NEW LIFE IN COMFORT AND SAFETY
Our Obstetrical and Newborn Department holds a special place in our hearts. The new unit includes a Newborn Assessment Clinic for babies less than seven days old. This clinic allows for close monitoring, lab work, and breastfeeding support, in a calm and nurturing environment helping new parents feel confident and cared for.
Each of our six private postpartum rooms includes a private bathroom, a personal fridge for breast milk or food storage, and space for a partner or support person to stay comfortably overnight on a sleeper couch.
We are also introducing new electronic fetal monitoring technology, allowing for seamless, centralized viewing of fetal heart rate tracings; it’s an important improve-
-ment from our previous paper-based system.
What will not change, and what remains truly unique within Ontario, is our 24/7 hospitalist midwife program. Our expert midwives provide continuous onsite support to obstetrical teams, newborns, and families, ensuring immediate breastfeeding and postpartum care.
This collaborative model allows most parents and babies to return home within 24 hours of delivery, supported and confident.
Our midwife program was a hallmark of our family-centered approach and one we proudly continue in our new home.
ENHANCING INPATIENT CARE AND COMFORT
Our inpatient care areas have been completely reimagined for comfort, healing, and accessibility. The new hospital includes 11 additional inpatient beds, a dedicated dining area for patients in rehabilitation or awaiting long-term care, and an on-floor rehabilitation exercise room for physiotherapy.
Patients and families will also enjoy an outdoor terrace and garden, accessible to everyone—patients, families, and staff, for fresh air, sunshine, and peaceful moments outdoors.
Each patient room is designed with privacy, dignity, and comfort in mind, featuring:
Updated operating rooms in the new build will streamline procedures flow considerabiy.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
• A private bathroom and shower
• A patient lift system to assist with mobility and safety
•A sleeper couch for family members wishing to stay overnight
•A large TV and integrated bedside monitor allowing patients to control lighting, window shades, and make local calls
•Floor-to-ceiling windows with electrochromic glass shading that automatically adjusts to ensure just the right amount of natural light
These features are not luxuries—they are thoughtful details that reflect our commitment to creating an environment where healing can truly happen.
A SHARED JOURNEY, A SHARED PRIDE
The story of this hospital is, above all, a story of community.
Our entire West Niagara regionpatients, families, physicians, staff, volunteers, and partners - along with Hamilton Health Sciences has supported and worked tirelessly toward this transformation.
We have navigated limitations, delays,
and disappointments, always united by the belief that our community deserves the very best.
This new building represents not only bricks and mortar, but resilience, hope, and progress. It is a welcoming new beginning - one that honors our history while embracing the future of healthcare in West Niagara.
Today, we can proudly say: we did it! Together, we have built more than a hospital.
To Everyone Who Believed in this Journey – Thank you!
I want to personally acknowledge Hamilton Health Sciences’ redevelopment team, HHS senior leadership team, West Lincoln Memorial’s medical and nursing staff, the administrative staff, and the support staff who worked hard, often in less-than-ideal conditions, in the old hospital and during this transition.
We all took on extra work over several years, contributing deep thought and concern about patient needs and efficiency then incorporating those needs into the new design.
Patient and community advocacy played
a huge role in obtaining the funding and political support resulting in this exciting, modern and fitting new hospital.
We have built a home for care, connection, and community for generations to come. It is finally ours!
WHAT WILL NEVER CHANGE
As we look ahead, we celebrate not only what’s new, but what endures.
What will never change at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is our caring culture. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built. We will continue to care for our patients as neighbours, to serve with compassion, and to collaborate as one inclusive, inspired team. Every person who walks through our doors will continue to be treated with warmth, respect, and integrity.
Our caring culture has been our legacy; it will continue to be our strength. (Dr. Joan Bellaire is medical director, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital site and chief of family medicine, Hamilton Health Sciences, and a community family physician, serving West Niagara for nearly 30 years).
WLMH Foundation board chair Kevin Antonides and Foundation executive director Pam Ellens in front of the Hall of Honour - which showcases some of the many contributors who made the new hospital build a reality for Niagara West.
WLMH Foundation: Philanthropic heartbeat of West Niagara
By Joanne McDonald
The floor to ceiling wall mural – hundreds of faces photographed at a 1997 candlelight vigil – is a powerful symbol and lasting legacy of collective achievement.
And every person who walks down the Hall of Honour at the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) will stop and search for their own face in that crowd - because they were there that night to save their hospital.
“The new hospital is a tribute to everyone who believed in West Lincoln’s future,” says
Kevin Antonides, Chair of the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation. “It reflects years of hard work, advocacy, and above all, the generosity of our community. The Foundation is proud to have played a role in bringing this dream to life, and we look forward to supporting the hospital for generations to come.”
A new chapter in patient care for the residents of West Niagara, “This hospital is
more than bricks and mortar. It’s a testament to what a community can accomplish when it believes in something bigger than itself,” said Pamela Ellens, Executive Director of the WLMH Foundation.
“Every conversation, every dollar raised, and every show of support brought us to this moment. The new WLMH stands as a living expression of gratitude to those who gave, those
McDonald - Photo
JOANNE McDONALD
Continued From Page 14 who advocated, and those who never stopped believing that our community deserved the very best in healthcare,” Ellens said.
And no different than the beloved old hospital, it will be a place where countless stories of healing and hope continue to unfold every day.
“My wife was born here in West Lincoln. My three children were born here. This hospital means a lot to me personally, and I know everyone in the community feels the same way,” Antonides said. “They all have stories about the care they received.”
Fundraising, rallying, waiting, persevering for decades, the community shared a singular mission to rebuild their hospital.
It would not have been possible without those who stepped forward to fund the community’s local share, 10 per cent of the total building cost and 100 per cent of the medical equipment costs.
“The donors, service clubs, municipalities, businesses, and individuals who gave have ensured that quality healthcare remains close to home, today and for generations to come,” Ellens said.
LEGACY OF ADVOCACY AND ACTION
That spirit was evident decades earlier in 1999, with Dean Allison, president of the WLMH Foundation and Debbie Zimmerman and Norman Beal as co-chairs in the Investing In Life campaign. Those early efforts set a new benchmark for regional cooperation and community partnership.
But deferral after deferral put the project on hold - disappointment after disappointment for the community – and the building committee, which included Antonides, was disbanded.
The WLMH board voted to amalgamate with Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) in 2013, a union in part to ensure sustainability and add strength to the case for a new WLMH. The decision was made official in 2014.
At the time it was not clear what services would be provided by a future WLMH, only that eventually, a new facility was a key priority of the amalgamation.
Under the amalgamation, the community made it clear that West Niagara dollars should stay in West Niagara. The WLMH Foundation was to remain in place as the fundraising arm for the hospital. All funds raised by the community, would stay in the community.
“The Foundation remained separate,” Ellens said. “Funds raised locally, stay local.” It is governed as a separate entity from HHS and the HHS Foundation.
And being part of a bigger centre has
The much larger footprint for the hospital building allows for considerably more space for admissions and other administrative duties.
brought advantages for patient care. “Just go into the OR and see the advantages and linkages with surgeons in Hamilton,” Antonides said.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
In 2021, that spirit of giving was reignited through the Foundation’s ‘Take It to the Finish’ campaign, led by Andrew Smith, campaign chair. With the community’s local share of the total hospital project set at $50 million, it was the community’s final push to bring the new hospital to life. Local municipalities increased their contributions proportionately to their populations, building on their original pledges, and the Region of Niagara added crucial support.
Selection of the consortium to build the new WLMH was just months away.
“We are now so very close to making the dream of a new hospital a reality. One team one dream,” said Tony Joosse, co-chair of the Save & Rebuild Committee.
In 2023, residents gathered on the Foundation’s front lawn to sign the last structural beam that would be installed on the fourth floor of the new hospital. It was symbolic of the strength of the community that had already been holding it in place for more than 25 years.
“The campaign goal of $50 million was one of the largest philanthropic goals every undertaken in West Niagara,” Smith told the crowd.
Grimsby Mayor Jeff Jordan said his grandparents, Hazel Barbour, a longtime WLM Auxiliary member and his grandfather Ernie Barbour, a former hospital board chair would be proud of the day.
With shovels finally in the ground, the Foundation’s work became one of stewardship, transparency, and connection. Donors
entrusted their contributions to ensure a hospital that reflected the needs and values of West Niagara.
From advanced technology and expanded emergency services to modern birthing suites and private patient rooms, every corner of the new WLMH reflects the generosity of the community. “Behind each piece of medical equipment and every modern innovation is the kindness of someone who believed in care close to home,” Ellens said.
PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROGRESS
Joining the WLMH Foundation board in 2011, Antonides has served as chair since 2019. “The community has done all the heavy lifting. They stepped up with unwavering commitment to the belief that they should have a community hospital for the next 75 years.”
“They never gave up that belief. They fought for it through vigils, political lobbying. It has been an ongoing battle to keep a hospital in the community, but the perseverance of the community has paid off,” Antonides said.
“When I met Kevin, he was on the building committee. It was clearly evident he was community driven and community minded and had a love for health care in West Niagara,” Ellens said. “He was a perfect fit to lead this organization into a new era.”
“The Foundation’s success is powered by people; visionary leaders, dedicated staff, and generous donors united by purpose,” Ellens said. Over the years, exceptional board chairs including Dean Allison, Andrew Smith, Alice Klamer, and now Kevin Antonides have led with integrity and foresight,” Ellens said.
“Their vision, commitment, and innovative thinking have guided the Foundation through some of the most transformational years in our
Part of the 15,000 strong - who turned out on a frosty February night in 1997 to start the turn of fortunes for what was the soon-to-beshuttered West Lincoln Memorial Hospital. This event got enough attention to shock provincial officials into reconsidering a closure. Mike Williscraft - Photo - from the rooftop of Grimsby Secondary School
Continued From Page 15 history. They are not afraid of any challenge. I see that in everything they do.”
It’s been full circle for Ellens who has dedicated her career to the hospital and community.
Joining WLMH in the early 1980s during the construction of Deer Park Villa, she worked in hospital administration with then chief executive officer Gord Gibson. In 1999, Ellens became executive director of the Foundation.
“Pam is the backbone and lifeblood of the Foundation,” said Antonides.
“Her knowledge of the hospital, her history with this community, and her passion for healthcare have made her an irreplaceable part of WLMH’s story. She has guided the Foundation with remarkable dedication and care, and her leadership has inspired confidence among donors, staff, and partners alike. Quite simply, the Foundation and this hospital would not be
what it is today without Pam’s steady hand and unwavering commitment.”
At the heart of the Foundation is also a dedicated team; Aimee Hilson, Dara Macleod, and Anne Parent, whose compassion, professionalism, and care for donors ensure the Foundation continues to thrive as a trusted community partner.
FIRST VIGIL
It was a defining moment in 1997, when 15,000 strong gathered on the football field at Grimsby Secondary School after the gymnsium was filled to capacity for a candlelight vigil to show unwavering support for the hospital.
“The glow of candles that evening illuminated more than the streets; it illuminated the determination of a community that refused to lose its hospital,” Ellens said.
That powerful moment of unity continues to shine today. In the new hospital, the Hall of Honour features a stunning backdrop image of the vigil, a lasting tribute to the people who
stood together as community. It reminds every visitor, patient, and staff member that the heart of WLMH has always been, and always will be, its people.
As the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital opens its doors, it stands as a monument to what generosity, persistence, and collaboration can achieve. Patient care in West Niagara has a renewed home, one built on the foundation of donor trust, community spirit, and the belief that local healthcare saves lives.
Ahead, the Foundation will continue to meet additional requests to fund new equipment for patient services. One example Antonides said, “is we’re moving from two to four ORs. We can offer more surgeries and demands for new equipment has increased.”
The Foundation has been asked by surgeons to equip the new OR with a specialized spinal surgery operating table to allow complex surgeries to be done in Grimsby. “That’s more than a $200,000 request.”
Sincere gratitude to all of the medical & service staff of our West Lincoln Memorial Hospital for their dedication and commitment AND my utmost thanks to ALL supporters who contributed to the dream of our new WLMH. You’re all champions. One Team. One Dream.
Town of Grimsby Councillor, Ward 1
Congratulations to all involved with West Lincoln Memorial Hospital! It has been a long road and the work by countless volunteers in the community who kept the dream alive is also greatly appreciated. These combined efforts will keep first-rate health care available in Niagara West for decades to come!
Reg Freake
Team. One Dream.
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Robert Foster
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site lead Dr. Marc Ysselstein and site chief of surgery Dr.
in the procedure room of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital. The new building includes a room especially for procedures not needing a full operating room. The addition of a procedure room means surgeries and procedures will take place in the most appropriate space, wait times will be reduced, and more local patients will receive care at WLMH instead of needing to travel to Hamilton.
New WLMH procedure room means better access, shorter wait times
When Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) opens our new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) building in November, its many new features will include a room especially for procedures not needing a full operating room.
TWO SPACES, TWO PURPOSES
An operating room (OR) and a procedure room are very similar, with a lot of the same equipment. So how are they different?
ORs are equipped for major surgeries requiring general anesthesia, where the patient is unconscious and their breathing and vital functions are supported. A
procedure room is for less invasive procedures where patients breathe on their own. Procedures are typically done with local anesthesia to numb an area of the body, or light sedation.
The current WLMH building has two ORs but no procedure room. As a result, interventions like removing a non-cancerous cyst that only requires numbing, or performing a colonoscopy or IUD insertion with light sedation, take place in an OR.
The addition of a procedure room means surgeries and procedures will take place in the most appropriate space, wait times will be reduced, and more local patients will
receive care at WLMH instead of needing to travel to Hamilton.
“Having a procedure room at our new hospital will give us the opportunity to do the right work in the right space,” says Dr. Lara Murphy, executive director of perioperative services at HHS. “The new hospital will better support West Lincoln’s growing community, as well as provide a better, more efficient work environment for our surgeons and teams.”
BIGGER, BETTER SPACE
The new WLMH building will have three ORs, with two up and running when the new hospital building opens in late
Anesthesia
Ved Tandan
Continued From Page 19 November. The third OR will be available a year or more later, allowing for further service expansion in the future. The procedure room will be open right away.
“HHS has among the best surgeons and teams in the country, and their skill sets need to be supported with a modern, state-of-theart hospital,” says Bruce Squires, site executive for WLMH. “The new WLMH building will be a much better fit for our doctors and teams, with our ORs and procedure room working in tandem for a more streamlined approach to patient care, workflows and efficiency.”
EXPANDED SERVICES
Obstetrician/gynecologists Dr. Andrea Mosher, Dr. Giuliana Guarna, Dr. Emily Landon and Dr. Meena Goel are based at WLMH, and 10 other doctors from HHS’ two largest hospitals, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre and Hamilton General Hospital, travel to Grimsby on a regular, rotating basis through the Surgeon of the Week (SOTW) program launched five years ago by Dr. Ved Tandan, WLMH’s site chief of surgery. Through the SOTW program, these general surgeons take turns working one-week stretches at WLMH where they provide consultations for patients in the emergency department, as well as inpatient and outpatient referrals, day surgeries, endoscopy procedures and follow-up care, says Tandan. These surgeons specialize in liver and pancreatic surgery, complex hernia surgery, complex colon and rectal surgery, and breast surgery.
expand procedures and surgeries.
UROLOGY PROCEDURES ADDED
For example, urology services aren’t currently available at WLMH. But they’ll be offered in the new hospital’s procedure room. Urology services haven’t been offered at WLMH for years, so these patients have been travelling to larger hospital sites in Hamilton.
“Having a procedure room at our new hospital will give us the opportunity to do the right work in the right space.” — Dr. Lara Murphy
Urology procedures are typically minor, minimally invasive, and don’t require full general anesthesia. Examples include a cystoscopy, where a scope is used to examine the bladder and urethra, sometimes with minor interventions like removing small stones or taking biopsies. Other examples include vasectomies, and treatment of minor urethral of bladder lesions.
look inside the body for diagnosis and treatment. Examples include a colonoscopy to examine the colon and rectum or an upper endoscopy to examine the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine. Endoscopy procedures can be diagnostic, where doctors look for abnormalities, or therapeutic where they remove polyps, take biopsies or perform minor surgeries.
Some gynecological work will be done in the procedure room, such as IUD insertions where sedation may be needed. “IUD insertion is something that many patients are hesitant about due to discomfort,” says Mosher. “So giving people the choice to have this procedure done under sedation is a wonderful option for patient care.”
Patients can also have small, benign lumps removed by surgeons in the procedure room, not needing a full OR.
“Our SOTW team is excited to continue their rotations at the new hospital building,” says Tandan.
In addition to the SOTW program, surgeons from other subspecialties come to WLMH to perform outpatient surgical procedures. These include spine surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, dental surgery and plastic surgery.
This work will continue and expand in the new hospital building, providing doctors serving WLMH with opportunities to
“Many of our patients are older adults,” says clinical manager Amy Ciancio. “Bringing these services back to Grimsby means that our older residents can receive the care they need, close to home at their local hospital.”
RIGHT SPACE FOR RIGHT PROCEDURE
“HHS has among the best surgeons and teams in the country, and their skill sets need to be supported with a modern, state-of-the-art hospital.” —
The new building opens the door for new, additional surgeries in the ORs as well. For example, simple burns can be treated with plastic surgery, and breast lumps can be removed and sent to a lab to check for cancer.
Bruce Squires, WLMH site executive
WLMH will continue offering endoscopy services, but they’ll take place in the procedure room instead of the OR, where they’re currently performed. Endoscopy is when doctors use a flexible tube with a camera to
The building passed a major construction milestone in September called substantial completion, allowing HHS to move in equipment, train staff on site and test systems. Patients are expected to start receiving care in the new hospital on or about Nov. 24.
Added features, such as procedure rooms, allow for expansion into several new services.
Services to be offered at the new WLMH: An Overview
The new Ambulatory Care unit will be strategic in streamlining traffic in several other departments to help them run more smoothly and efficiently.
• Emergency Department
• In-patient Services - Medical/surgical beds, ICU, rehabilitation and patient dining room
• Obstetrics and newborn services, including newborn assessment clinic
• Diagnostic services - CT, x-ray, mammography, ultrasound
• Medical Diagnostic Unit – echocardiography (ECHO), electrocardiography (ECG), exercise testing, holter monitoring and pulmonary function (PFT)
• Surgical Services (operating rooms and a surgical procedure room)
Other features: • Indigenous Healing Room
Spiritual centre
Outpatient services and clinics
• Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic
• Colposcopy
• Mental Health
• Palliative Care
• General Surgery
• Pre-op Anesthesia
• Pre-op Nursing
• General Internal Medicine Rapid Assessment Clinic (GIMRAC/GIM)
• Medical Day Care (blood transfusions, IV iron infusions etc)
• Medical Procedure Room
• Neurology
• Geriatric Assessment
Baby feeding room (public)
Daisy Café
Gift Shop • Outdoor Terrace
Hospital kitchen opens doors to career paths for many
By Mike Williscraft
If the eyes are the window to the soul, it may just be that the kitchen is the window to a career at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.
For two of WLMH’s longest-serving employees - Liz Winter and Lisa Harrisonthat certainly proved to be the case.
Winter got her start working in the kitchen in April 1987.
“It’s pretty amazing to see how many staff got their start in the kitchen,” said Winter.
“I actually started as a coop placement at Deer Park Villa and I asked if there was a job to work in the kitchen. She said there was a summer position. I said, no, I’m looking for a job and there was. I started in the kitchen and worked there for 13 years.”
The flexibility of the timing with school pressures proved to be a key reason why so many used that outlet as as starting point.
“The kitchen was a great entry level spot
for students because they had a 4-7:30 shift. You could go to school all day and still have that, and it paid well. It was a great gig, said Winter, who was born at WLMH as were her kids.
That move proved a great stepping stone for her at the start of her 39 years at WLMH. Along the way, added training and going back to school positioned her for a shift in positions.
MIKE WILLISCRAFT
“I moved into diagnostic imaging (DI). I applied for a porter position and at that time it was still the old dark room, so I did the old x-rays in the dark room and then they needed some office work and I went back to night school to take some courses and got my office assistance certificate. So 2000 to presently, that’s been my job, business clerk,” said Winter, who stayed in DI for eight years before shifting to the emergency department and, eventually, to
her current spot in the labour and delivery department.
She plans to work about another 18 months before retiring and noted she very well would likely have retired already, but wanted to hang in to see the new build come on line.
For me, because I was born there, my kids were born there and I’ve worked there for so long – I haven’t retired because I wanted to be part of the new place. The more time I spend over there the more excited I get about it. This has been coming for a long time. It’s going to be great for our community. It’s time,” said Winter.
The difference, as Winter has seen for herself is beyond the imagination.
“Everything about it. The space, it’s bigger, we’ll be doing more innovative things for the labour and delivery part of the world.
Liz Winter- with 39 years on the job - is currently WLMH Labour & Delivery department’s business clerk.
Continued From Page 26
It’s going to be great,” said Winter.
As an an example of the attention to detail and efficient design of the new build, Winter offers up her own department as an example.
“Now, if you have to go for a C-Section, you have come out of labour and delivery, go through the main hallway, go up in the elevator to the first floor because that’s where the operating room is,” she said.
“Now, to do a C-Section, the OR is attached to us, so you just go down the corridor to double doors and you’re in the OR. That, in itself, is going to be great.”
In terms of changes she has seen in her career - and what will be available in the new build - aside from just more space and efficient design, Winter said one of the biggest impact features will be the ambulatory care unit.
“All the clinics, like the internal medicine clinic, the OBGYN clinic, palliative care, mental health which is moving in from the Globe building, are all going into the ambulatory unit.
“It will make all departments far more efficient and will prove very convenient for residents. All these services will be able to keep people from having to go to the city for care. It makes it much easier for many, like a
one-stop care facility.”
While the transition to the new build will be a phenomenal change for the good, there is still a twinge of nostalgia for the original WLMH.
“It is a little bitter sweet for me. I know every nook and cranny of the old building. I was in the new build a couple of weeks ago and I couldn’t find my way back to my unit,” laughed Winter.
“But it’s laid out very nicely. For staff in all the other units in the hospital, their favourite unit is the labour and delivery unit. They like the way it’s laid out, it’s big and just open and airy.”
She is hoping, once word gets out, that WLMH will see birthing rates jump up to where they used to be.
At one time, WLMH births were up around the 800 per year level, but closure of the operating rooms a couple of years back stopped births at the facility entirely. Of late, the rate has been down around 400.
“We’ve been handling some of the births from McMaster because they were so busy and a lot of the people didn’t realize we were still here, let alone birthing babies,” said Winter.
“The new facility, the equipment, it’s all going to up the level of care.”
CULTURE CLUB
One important thing Winter said staff are hoping to bring from the old to the new is the rich history of the close-knit, family culture WLMH staff have enjoyed.
“We are a community and we want to show our commitment to the community. We’re trying to bring that into the new build as well with our culture club. It’s very tightknit here. When you walk down the hall, you know everybody,” said Winter.
“There are more people coming from the city because they’ve had to hire more staff, so it helps to meet those new people and embracing this new build that we have.”
For Harrison, she got started as a candy striper in 1985. She worked in the coffee shop and gift shop before starting a parttime position in the kitchen in 1988 and she went full-time in 1996.
“I thought I would go into teaching,” said Harrison, adding she just never wanted to leave after finding a “great family vibe.”
“It was a different kind of hospital setting I think than what some people might be used to. It felt like everybody that you worked with was a family member,” Harrison said.
Ironically, in readying for the new build, Harrison is “teaching” in a way as she is one of 14 people for a role in Hamilton Health Sciences ATAC (A Training Activation Champion) planning progam.
Each of the 14 oversees a department to help with training.
In her regular capacity, Harrison is in charge of making the place hum by coordinating ordering, pulling items from the freezer for use the next day among other tasks.
“Right now I’m a jack of all trades –teacher now – tour guide, whatever needs to be done, really,” said Harrison.
In her new surroundings, Harrison said the new facility will have significantly expanded potential.
“It’s going to be better,” said Harrison both of the food that is produced and the overall capabilities of the new kitchen itself.
“The equipment is amazing.”
Lisa Harrison, who is now a Production/ Receiver, got her start at WLMH as a candy striper in 1985.
Congratulations and best wishes on the construction of the NEW West Lincoln Memorial Hospital!
More space, expanded offerings showcased at new Auxiliary coffee shop
By Mike Williscraft
Not only will the beverages be piping hot, but so will some of the sandwiches at West Lincoln Memorial Auxiliary’s new and expanded coffee shop.
The shop has long been a focal point for the Auxiliary largely due to its ultra consistent performance as a major money making feature, said Fred Lilley, the group’s past president.
“Both the coffee shop and the gift generated about the same, right around $40,000 by each of them right up to COVID,” said Lilley,
“It has never really come back. I’m hoping we can get back to that number and the gift shop was normally about the same.”
The two shops - along with the long line-up of annual Auxiliary eventshelped accumulate the $800,000 which was pledged in March of this year to the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Founda-
tion’s fundraising drive for the new build.
Part of the plan to help get the coffee shop back to its pre-COVID numbers will be going back to being open on weekends, said Kathy Smart, the shop’s Auxiliary coordinator.
“Our goal in the new space is to be open on weekends. We are attempting to have it open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.,” said Smart.
“It used to always be open on weekends, but hasn’t since COVID (2020).”
Weekdays will be regular hours Monday to Thursday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
For Smart, who has been an Auxiliary volunteer for 10 years after retiring from a career at Brock University, getting the new doors open cannot happen soon enough.
“I’m so excited, just thrilled at what is happening. It’s been a long time and a long fight but we’re glad it is happening,” said Smart.
“The new hospital is well thought out. It’s beautiful. It’s very high tech with all the latest equipment and it will be great for this community.”
With the coffee shop itself, it is something she gravitated to early on in her Auxiliary volunteering.
“I’ve been in Grimsby for 50 years and I decided it was time to give back to the community and I thought the hospital fit me best, so I went there and volunteered,” said Smart.
“I started out working in B Ward. I also did some patient transportation from the recovery room out to their cars. Then I started working in the coffee shop and I
Longtime West Lincoln Auxiliary volunteer Marlene Morais and Auxiliary coffee shop coordinator Kathy Smart, right, in the new digs.
MIKE WILLISCRAFT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35
got busier and busier in the coffee shop so now I am coordinating the coffee shop.”
For anyone looking to get involved as Smart has, she said the Auxiliary is a great place to offer support.
“It’s very flexible and you can do as much or as little as you want,” she said. Smart has also helped out in other areas over the years - including helping out on B Ward - at the start.
“There you make beds, change sheets, clear garbage – looking after patients’ needs, really,” said Smart.
“At the coffee shop, I started with one shift a week when I first began volunteering but have taken over running it the last few years.”
And the work can be very rewarding, particularly in recent years when so much was up in the air about the facility’s future.
“I have always wanted to ensure that the hospital was still here. I was very involved in the rally at the high school. My kids were born here, my grandkid was born here,” said Smart.
“My roots are deep.”
And it’s a going concern, requiring 45-50 volunteers who are scheduled throughout a
given week.
In the new shop, they will have an impressive backdrop to serve their customers.
“I love all the windows. All the views are fantastic. We’re going to have a 32-seat patio at some point after the old hospital goes down. That will have a beautiful view of the escarpment,” said Smart.
“There’s a lot more room and we’ll be able to offer a lot more products. The added space will make it easier to work because, right now, it’s very crowded.”
As well, the fare offered will be getting an upgrade, too, something which was just not physically possible in their old digs.
To enhance the comfort of patients and their families at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital through the efforts of volunteers by: Recruiting and managing quality volunteers for clinical and service programs.
Creating a culture that values all volunteers and assists them in developing their potential to achieve their personal volunteer goals.
To provide the hospital with funding, as directed by the hospital, for much needed equipment, through fund raising events and service programs.
WLM Auxiliary donated $800,000 to the WLMH Fountation in March
“We’re going to be adding ice cream bars, which everybody has been asking for for years. Now we’ve got room for them,” noted Smart.
“We’re going to be adding a soup of the day. We’re adding a panini press to be able to grill sandwiches, eventually, but not the first week as it will take some time to settle in.”
The mission of the Auxiliary has always been clear:
Volunteers who support the Auxiliary deliver on that mission every day.
“Volunteering with the Auxiliary gave me a better understanding of the town. I get to meet great people and get to know them and get to know the community,” said Smart.
“It’s a great place to volunteer. There are so many nice people – all committed to the hospital so they all have that in common and it’s nice to be able to get to know them.”
For more information on volunteering, call 905-945-2253, ext. 11391 or email: auxiliary@hhsc.ca
Keeping things organized at the Auxailiary’s Gift Shop is Margaret Priest, left, and Anne Marie Heywood.
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New facility opens horizons to expanded educational possibilities
When the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) opens its doors, it will deliver much more than modern equipment and larger clinical spaces.
It opened up new possibilities for teaching and learning for doctors, nurses, midwives, and many other health professionals who are training to serve patients across the Grimsby region and beyond.
As part of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), WLMH has long been a place where learners come to develop their skills in a supportive community hospital setting. The new facility strengthens that role, with updated technology, better teaching spaces, and an environment designed for collaboration including two new conference rooms to accommodate large onsite teaching sessions.
“Our learners get insights into the full spectrum of community and rural medicine,” says Dr. Nisha Goel, hospitalist and education site lead at WLMH.
“Here we have family physicians providing inpatient, emergency and obstetrical care, as well as anesthesia. We also have in-house specialist support from internal medicine, general surgery, palliative care, geriatrics and more. The new hospital will further enable learners to develop a broad
scope of training in a community setting.”
STRONG TIES TO McMASTER U’s NIAGARA REGIONAL CAMPUS
WLMH is a teaching site for McMaster University’s Niagara Regional Campus (NRC), which trains medical students and residents throughout the Niagara area.
These learners complete core rotations and electives in areas such as internal medicine, family practice, emergency medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and anesthesia.
“Our collaboration with McMaster’s Niagara Campus is key to building local health care capacity,” says Goel. “Many of the learners who train with us end up working at WLMH or elsewhere in the region.”
The Niagara campus is known for its distributed medical education model that emphasizes small-group learning and hands-on experience in community settings. At WLMH, this means students work closely with staff physicians, nurses and allied health professionals, often taking on meaningful roles in patient care early in their training.
“In a smaller hospital such as WLMH, you’re not just observing, you’re involved,” says Goel.
“Learners are able to assist directly in patient care, communicate with families and
collaborate with the team without getting lost in the balancing act that is sometimes necessary in larger academic centres.”
MODERN SPACES FOR HANDS-ON LEARNING
The new WLMH was designed with education in mind. Spacious patient rooms allow for bedside teaching without disrupting care. Team spaces make it easier for learners to collaborate, debrief, and review cases. Technology upgrades also enhance the learning experience.
“The difference is in the details,” says Liberty Aspilla, interim manager of student affairs and academic relations. “Having the right space to teach safely, the technology to demonstrate procedures and the systems that let learners be fully involved in patient care makes a big impact.”
Departments such as surgery, emergency, and obstetrics have become particularly active teaching environments. The new operating rooms feature the same highstandard equipment used at larger academic hospitals, allowing surgical residents to gain experience in procedures that are both complex and community-oriented.
TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NURSES
HHS has affiliation agreements with
Continued From Page 40 about 100 universities, colleges and even high schools. At WLMH, nursing students come from Mohawk College, Niagara College, Brock University and McMaster University’s School of Nursing, among others, for learning placements in inpatient, emergency, perioperative, and obstetrical settings.
Nursing students are paired with experienced staff mentors who guide them through patient assessments, medication administration and documentation. With new digital tools and equipment, students are learning the latest best practices while contributing to daily patient care.
In addition to undergraduate placements, WLMH supports ongoing education for current staff. As new systems and technologies are introduced, educators provide in-depth training to ensure everyone stays confident and up to date.
“Lifelong learning is part of who we are,” says Aspilla. “Every nurse, no matter how long they’ve been practicing, continues to learn.”
LEARNING IN LABOUR & DELIVERY
Part of what makes WLMH special is that several types of health-care providers support their patients in labour and birth care. Family doctors, community midwives, and obstetricians all hold hospital privileges here. And recently, hospitalist midwives have been added to the department, who work with everyone. This set-up gives trainees a well-rounded view of familycentred maternity care.
“Our maternity unit is unique in that community midwives, obstetricians and family physicians, along with staff nurses and hospitalist midwives, all work together,” says Pilar Chapman, registered midwife and program lead for the hospitalist midwifery program. “For students, it’s a powerful example of teamwork and respect across disciplines.”
Midwifery students from programs across Ontario learn at WLMH by participating in prenatal visits, births, and postpartum care.
Obstetrics and anesthesia residents from
McMaster’s Hamilton campus also rotate through the hospital to gain experience in community-based maternity care.
“It’s one thing to learn about collaboration in theory,” says Chapman. “It’s another to live it every day with your colleagues and patients.”
INTERPROFESSIONAL LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES
Beyond medicine and nursing, WLMH is a training site for respiratory therapy students from Fanshawe College, as well as learners in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and palliative care.
“We’re building a truly interprofessional learning environment,” says Rob Manning, nurse clinician and educator. “Our learners don’t just observe, they join rounds, participate in family meetings, and contribute to quality improvement discussions.”
These placements help students understand how different disciplines work together to provide holistic care, an essential skill for modern health care teams.
COMMUNITY MEDICINE IN ACTION
One of the most valuable aspects of
WLMH’s maternity unit is a “powerful example of teamwork and respect across disciplines,” Pilar Chapman, registered midwife and program lead for the hospitalist midwifery program.
LIBERTY ASPILLA
Continued From Page 41 training at WLMH is the opportunity to experience the full range of community medicine.
Family medicine residents often follow their preceptors between hospital and community practice, reflecting the broad scope of care typical in rural and semi-rural regions. This continuity deepens clinical judgment and reinforces patient-centered care.
“We see learners grow quickly here,” says Manning. “They gain confidence, independence, and a strong sense of what it means to care for people in their own community.”
KEEPING HEALTHCARE TALENT IN THE REGION
A key goal of WLMH’s training programs is to encourage learners to stay in the region after graduation. This helps address local shortages and ensures communities continue to have access to highquality care.
“When learners train here, they experience first-hand what it’s like to practice in a close-knit community where colleagues feel like family,” says Goel. “Many fall in love with the pace and the people, bringing them back to WLMH to build their careers.”
That’s already happening. Of Goel’s
own graduating class of 28 students from McMaster’s Niagara Campus, four now work at WLMH in some capacity, two of whom also completed their family medicine residencies there.
“That’s the impact of community-based education,” she says. “It fosters a group of professionals who know the community and want to keep being part of it.”
LOOKING AHEAD
While the number of learners at WLMH will remain steady for now, the hospital’s expanded facilities provide room for growth. As patient volumes increase and new staff positions are funded, more residents and students may be accommodated in the future.
“The new hospital was designed with the future in mind,” says Manning. “As we continue to grow, our teaching and learning programs will grow with us. We see education as part of everything we do. It’s not separate from patient care. It’s how we ensure excellent care continues.”
A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING
Education at WLMH goes beyond formal placements. It’s built into the hospital’s culture. Staff participate in mentorship, case reviews, and ongoing quality improvement initiatives, creating a learning environment that benefits both patients and providers.
“Every day is a teaching moment,” says Manning. “Whether it’s reviewing a chart with a student or debriefing after a procedure, we’re always learning from each other.”
That culture of shared learning has been strengthened by the new hospital environment. The space encourages open dialogue, reflection, and teamwork, all essential ingredients for high-quality, compassionate care.
A FUTURE BULT ON LEARNING
As the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital settles into its role serving Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln and the surrounding region, its importance as a teaching hospital continues to grow. The building itself may be new, but its heart, the commitment to learning, collaboration, and community care, remain deeply rooted.
“We’re proud to be part of the continuum that trains, mentors, and inspires future clinicians right here in our community,” says Goel. “That’s what makes WLMH special.”
From medical students taking their first patient histories to experienced nurses mentoring the next generation, learning is everywhere at WLMH. And it’s shaping the future of health care in the region.
Mike Williscraft Publisher Catherine Williscraft General Manager
Donna Wisnoski Graphic Design
Erica Huisman Advertising Sales Joanne McDonald Reporter
TURNING JEWELLERY INTO
As Harmony Jewellers celebrates 50 years, we wanted to give back to the community that has given us so much. That's why we created Shine On. By donating your old jewellery, you get a charitable tax receiept for it’s value and you support the compassionate care that WLMH and McNally House give to your community every day.
TURN OLD JEWELLERY, INTO NEW HOPE.
100% of proceeds go to WLMH Foundation & McNally House
On.
We cannot thank WLMH’s top-notch staff enough for all the great work they have done over the years! Maintaining an excellent level for healthcare in our community is greatly appreciated by all. Also, thanks to all those behind the scenes carrying the Save & Rebuild campaign across the finish line!
A greener, safer future: Inside the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital
The new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) in Grimsby isn’t just a modern health-care facility - it is also a landmark of environmental innovation and patient safety in the Niagara region.
From its advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems designed during the COVID-19 pandemic to its cutting-edge sustainability features, the new WLMH represents a bold step forward in hospital design.
Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) newest, state-of-the-art, three-storey, 14,000-squaremetre facility sets a new standard for what a community hospital can be - efficient, resilient, and deeply integrated with the community it serves.
BUILT WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND
From the ground up, the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital was planned with the environment in mind. The facility is on track to achieve LEED Silver certification - a globally recognized standard for environmental performance in buildings.
This certification marks WLMH as one of only two hospitals in the entire Niagara region to meet this level of sustainability.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, evaluates buildings across multiple categories, including:
• Energy and water efficiency
• Air quality
• Waste diversion
• Materials selection
• Flood prevention
• Sustainability of construction practices
“Working towards achieving LEED Silver certification for our new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital reflects Hamilton Health Sciences’ commitment to sustainable practices - such as reduced energy use, lower carbon emissions, and a healthier environment for our patients, staff, and doctors,” says Jennifer Robinson, director of redevelopment projects at HHS.
Notably, the new facility is projected to produce 50 per cent less carbon dioxide than the hospital it replaces.
It will also offer dedicated parking spots with electric vehicle charging stations, encouraging low-emission transportation options for staff and visitors alike.
Hospitals, by nature, are among the most energy-intensive buildings in society. They operate around the clock, require specialized equipment, and must meet stringent ventilation and cleanliness standards. But that hasn’t stopped HHS from embracing change.
“Globally, the health-care sector is responsible for approximately five per cent of
all carbon emissions - more than the airline industry,” says Victoria Brzozowski, HHS environmental management lead. “We have a responsibility to lead by example.”
SMARTER CONSTRUCTION, LESS WASTE
Sustainability started during the build phase. Approximately 75 per cent of all construction waste - including concrete, steel, drywall, and cardboard- was diverted from landfills thanks to an extensive recycling and materials sorting program implemented on-site.
Brent Whiteley, principal architect of architectural firm Parkin, which designed the new hospital notes that “this approach was intentional from day one.
Construction materials were sorted into separate streams and sent to specialized recycling facilities, instead of ending up in landfill.”
CLEAN MATERIALS AND EFFICIENT SYSTEMS
Inside the hospital, attention to air quality and material selection was also paramount. Every product was chosen with the health of patients, staff, and the environment in mind.
Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials - such as paints, adhesives, and
sealants - were prioritized. Flooring made from natural rubber, a low-emission material, was selected for its durability and minimal environmental impact.
The hospital also features:
• Smart windows with automatic tinting that reduces solar heat gain while preserving natural light
• Water-cooled mechanical systems that recover and reuse heat during air conditioning;
• Ultra-low-flow plumbing fixtures expected to reduce water consumption by up to 60 per cent, and;
• Waste-sorting stations within the building for recyclables, compost, hazardous waste, and e-waste
“These systems make the hospital more comfortable, safer, and better for the planet,” says Whiteley. “It’s a win across the board.”
CLEAN & SAFE ALL YEAR ROUND
Canadian winters bring snow and ice, and with them, the risk of slips and falls. But the new WLMH tackles this challenge innovatively. A below-ground snow melt system at the hospital’s main and emergency department entrances will automatically keep those areas free of snow and ice.
Not only does this reduce the risk of injury, but it also eliminates the need for road salt, which can damage local vegetation and contribute to water pollution when washed into nearby drains and waterways.
Meanwhile, the hospital’s solar panel system will generate approximately five per cent of its energy needs, and an electronic roof leak detection system will allow facilities staff to catch and address problems before they escalate - adding yet another layer of resilience to the building’s design.
TACKLING LONG-STANDING FLOOD RISKS
One of the most persistent issues faced by the original hospital was flooding. Both the old and new sites sit on a flood plain, and over the years, maintenance teams have spent countless hours dealing with water infiltration and damage.
But thanks to a collaborative design process, involving hospital staff, leadership, and environmental engineers, those problems are finally being addressed.
The new WLMH features:
• Bioswales – shallow, landscaped channels
in the parking lot that absorb and filter rainwater, and;
• An underground stormwater retention system designed to control runoff and minimize flooding risks.
“We learned a lot from those who dealt with these challenges daily,” says Brzozowski. “Their input directly informed the flood mitigation strategies we implemented in the design.”
PANDEMIC-INFORMED DESIGN FOR SAFER FUTURE
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how the world thinks about health-care spacesand WLMH reflects these lessons.
Designed during the height of the pandemic, the hospital includes a highly advanced HVAC system that plays a key role in infection control. The system manages airflow and filtration throughout the building and is essential for containing airborne pathogens.
Several isolation rooms are also built into the layout, including:
• One in the emergency department;
• Two in the C-ward inpatient unit, and
• One in the post-anesthesia care unit.
Each inpatient room is private, providing better privacy and safer conditions for infection control. The rooms are grouped into modular pods that can be quickly isolated in case of a disease outbreak. Non-clinical spaces - like waiting areas and meeting rooms - can be rapidly converted into testing or triage zones during a public health crisis.
The new WLMH is located right in the
heart of downtown Grimsby, making it more accessible and better integrated with the community.
Once the original hospital is removed, the expanded site will feature:
• A sprawling green lawn facing Main Street;
• Walking paths for patients, families, and residents;
• A dedicated children’s play area, and;
• Public art installations that reflect the spirit of the region.
Over 100 new trees will provide shade, aesthetic beauty, and environmental benefits - including stormwater control and cooling. A smart-drip irrigation system will reduce water usage while supporting the health of hardy, low-maintenance native plants.
Extending the tree canopy into the parking lot will also help keep the area cooler making it more comfortable for visitors during hot summer months.
The new WLMH is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a bold vision brought to life - a place that reflects both the values and the future of the community it serves.
It prioritizes sustainability not as an afterthought, but as a guiding principle. It considers patient safety not just in treatment rooms, but in the materials used, the air people breathe, and the way the space responds to global threats like climate change and pandemics.
For HHS and the people of Grimsby, the new WLMH is a symbol of what’s possible when health care, sustainability, and smart design come together.
Solar panels atop the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital will create a highly energy efficient environment for the future.
All In The Family
Role models are important. Helen Schinbein is living proof. Starting her nursing career at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in 1970, he blazed a trail not only for daughters - Kathy Hartsone and Kim Hartstone Vaughan - to not only go into nursing but to also work at WLMH.
In turn, Kim’s daughter have also gotten into nursing at WLMH, Jaylin in C WArd and Joelle in the medical device
Helen Schinbein has been a fixture at WLMH since 1970. Her family agrees it’s a great place to work. Several have been long-time employees or volunteers there as well, Including: BACK ROW (L to R)
Grandaughter Jaylin Vaughan, who is a nurse in C Ward, Kim’s daughter;
Daughter Kathy Harstone, who is a registered nurse in the Emergency Department; Daughter Kim Hartstone-Vaughan, business clerk in the Emergency Department.
FRONT
Helen Schinbein, long-time nurse who started at WLMH in 1970, now retired, and; Chris Vaughan, Kim’s mother-in-law who volunteers at WLMH. Williscraft - Photo
reprocessing department. As well, Kim’s mother-in-law also volunteers.
For Kathy, being part of WLMH feels natural.
“I Grew up going to the hospital with my mom there, bringing her meals or going in to say ‘hello’ since she worked a lot of nights and weekends,” Kathy recalled.
“It was always a familiar place for me. I started working in th kitchen when I was 16 delivering food trays to patients.”
For Kim, having family as part of work environment creates a special connection.
“Having the opportunity to work directly with my sister and having my two daughters, mother-in-law and mother in the same facility creates a wonderful sense of connection and fulfillment in both my personal and professional life. I look forward to serving our community in the new facility,” said Kim.
Greenhow, LL.B.
& Solicitor
Grimsby,
Telephone: 905-945-5431
Email: info@greenhowlaw.ca
Community at heart of new WLMH’s look & feel
By Cindy Toth
Tony Joosse & Dr. Tom Estall
The feelings when walking into the new hospital are overwhelming.
There is a sense of our community, its determination, its strength, and its influence reflected in the look and feel of the spaces.
CINDY TOTH
While hard to pinpoint why, it already seems familiar and doesn’t have an industrial sterile or grandiose feel that some may have expected.
Those able to take the early tours in late October into early November shared these feelings and the sense of the accomplishments of our community in staying the course bringing the Save & Rebuild WLMH efforts into reality.
It is certainly unexpected that a new hospital can feel so warm and welcoming but be totally new. There seems to be respectfulness and honour representing past generations of our community, while providing for present needs with potential to grow with future generations.
The hospital walls chronicle WLMH’s history. The old hospital is now being referred to as the legacy hospital. This term reflects the long-lasting impact of WLMH in West Niagara and on all of our lives. For generations of births to losses, the legacy hospital
TONY JOOSSE
was the center of care for our community for almost 80 years.
The muralled walls also show the journey of community activism, the perspective of West Niagara that speaks to how important our hospital is to our everyday lives and why we as a community fought so hard for so long to keep it.
Our 1997 candlelight vigil on the football field of the Grimsby Secondary School to save WLMH provides the mural backdrop for the incredible record of how WLMH has been integral to West Niagara’s community. It is a positive affirmation of the impact of our community’s determination, organization, and passion in the face of what started as adversity and threat, to what is developing now, a sense of having the new WLMH reach its potential upon opening and growth over the coming years.
As a community we will never forget that the journey to this point was long, drawn out
and filled with disappointment, trepidation, disbelief and distrust.
The community was reactivated to save the hospital in 2018 with Trinity United Church filled to capacity - about 2,000 of us in and around the building - when WLMH’s future was again threatened.
At this point the Save & Rebuild WLMH community group coalesced with co-chairs, Tony Joosse, Tom Estall, and Cindy Toth to organize and advocate for our community.
With urgency, thousands of people came together to save WLMH. The petition to save and rebuild WLMH gathered over 18,000 signatures in a matter of a week delivered by MPP Sam Oosterhoff to the provincial legislature. It was with this much fight that our community came together to show how resilient we were. ‘Don’t Stand Down until there’s Shovels in the Ground’ was our rallying cry.
This campaign slogan foreshadowed reality. The shovels did indeed hit the ground in April 2022 but still uncertainty plagued our thoughts through the planning and construction phases. The Save & Rebuild WLMH focus became, ‘Celebrate but remain Vigilant’.
Through the COVID-19 years our community was very uncertain that there was
This was the scene at a packed Trinity United Church in Grimsby in 2018 for a hastily called meeting to reboot the Save WLMH forces. Williscraft - Photo
Dr. TOM ESTALL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54 response provided lessons that shaped the design and underlying operational aspects of the new facility to improve fighting infectious diseases.
We must never forget that COVID at WLMH was incredibly traumatic for patients and staff as it was in every other hospital in the world. As a result, the new hospital is one of Ontario’s first hospitals to be ‘futureproofed’ for a pandemic.
The sustained community effort worked. This time all the elements that drive the foundational work of a community movement came together. Community, municipal, regional, and provincial governments and, yes, this included Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS).
But questions lingered about the services to be provided within the new hospital, whether it will serve our growing populations into the future and whether it will support the compassionate patient-centered care that our community values.
Concerns and questions will always persist, but we can report that the new hospital is incredible and provide some facts.
WLMH will continue to be integral to the campus of care between Deer Park Villa long term care facility, McNally House Hospice building, and out into adjacent services within our West Niagara community.
Numerous articles have been published by Hamilton Health Sciences providing details on services and the new facility. These provide facts on what will be in the new hospital. More information is being communicated regularly, including a video tour.
Community members can start to build their familiarity with the building before they need to go in for diagnostics, medical services, an emergency, or just to visit family or friends.
6 maternal/newborn suites and 8 bassinets. There is an increase in operating rooms and one procedure room.
The single patient rooms will enhance patient care, support rest and wellness, and meet infection control standards. These rooms provide a multifunctional capacity that supports providing necessary care to match patient needs.
Diagnostic capability continues to be important with the new CT scanner, mammography, and general and mobile x-ray machines. Diagnostic services provide opportunities for growth in the future.
generations receiving care there – from births, to heart attacks, operations and emergency room visits.
As my mum reflects, she has experienced care at WLMH from her parents to grandchildren of her grandchildren. These memories would be familiar to many families in our community.
WLMH officials look to double its current births to get back to pre-2019 levels
Labour and delivery services will continue to be a high priority with a new hospitalist midwifery program.
As HHS knows, “West Niagara is one of Ontario’s fastest-growing regions, and birth numbers at WLMH reflect that. More than 400 babies were born at the hospital in 2024, with numbers projected to increase as young families settle in the area and the hospital adds obstetricians and midwives to its staff…. Prior to the closure in 2019, more than 800 babies were born at WLMH each year and the staff expect to be supporting this birth volume again soon.”
The legacy WLMH building has two Operating Rooms (OR) but no procedure room. The new WLMH facility will have two ORs and a procedure room up and running when the new hospital building opens.
Two operating rooms will be up and running from the new build’s openingmatching the legacy building’s capacity - with another OR to open next year
As a community hospital, WLMH will continue to provide both inpatient services and outpatient services including an emergency department, acute inpatient care, complex continuing care, ambulatory care, day surgery and endoscopy, diagnostic imaging and maternal and newborn services among other services.
The size of the hospital is increasing by almost 80 per cent with three stories at 14,000 square-meters with 55 inpatient beds,
With the new procedure room, opportunities open up to bring back services not offered at WLMH for years and new services, such as urology, gynecological work, outpatient surgical services and other minor invasive treatments.
As West Niagara is growing, it is essential that we have a hospital that reflects modern design and technology. It is important to see our hospital accommodate our community needs into the future while continuing the culture of care that it is renowned for and reflect what we know and love about WLMH – the community connectedness.
Afterall, we have so many stories of the generations of families and their happy and painful moments associated with the hospital. In my family alone, there have been five
This makes our hospital both legacy and new, a reflection of our community, quite unique in this day and age. Generations move through, each with memories, heartfelt, heartwarming and unfortunately, painful loss, but creating this passionate attachment that endures.
So many warm memories are shared with the babies we have borne within the walls of the old obstetrics (OB). What can be expected in the new hospital will be an incredibly welcoming, open, bright environment that will match the wonderful level of care we have always experienced with OB staff.
There is a wall named ‘A Star is Born’, ready and waiting for our new babies to begin their lives with their families and caring staff.
The Emergency Room is welcoming, and that’s saying something for a place that many of us have entered in the depth of our medical traumas. The new space is well organized, suited to support patient-centered care and staff and emergency responders needs efficiently.
The hospital is bigger with wider hallways and planned to be operationally effective. This optimization will be welcomed by not only the staff but also patients and families.
Personally, having just spent time in the legacy WLMH’s ER and intensive care, the contrast with the new facility is unbelievable. While the care from doctors, nurses, and staff will not change from the professional and caring support, the space and services will be worlds apart.
A key piece to the design of the new hospital was to make its operations as sustainable, efficient, future-proofed as possible. This facility is designed to be flexible in design and technology to ensure it is not behind the times the moment it opens.
It is one of the most sustainably designed and safest health-care facilities in the region expected to achieve the well-recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for being
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55 an environmentally responsible and resource efficient building.
Design focused on ensuring operations will be energy efficient and water conserving, with attention to indoor air quality, low carbon emissions, flood prevention, waste diversion and patient and staff health and wellness.
From what we’ve been hearing, the staff are excited to be moving through the improved and ample spaces.
We are told that it’s an almost unbelievable contrast to working and care situations at the legacy facility.
From HHS, WLMH will:
• Produce half the carbon dioxide emissions of the original hospital;
• Have windows that reduce heat from the sun using smart tint-changing glass to keep the interior cool without compromising natural light;
• Have a water-cooled system to recover and reuse heat to boost energy efficiency;
• Include ultra low-flow toilets and urinals, and low-flow sensor faucets and showerheads. These upgrades are expected to cut indoor water use by up to 60 per cent compared
to standard fixtures. The building also has dedicated indoor waste sorting areas to handle the sorting of materials like recyclables, food waste, hazardous wastes, cardboard, glass, and electronic waste such as batteries and old devices.
When the legacy building is demolished, it will be replaced by parklike greenspace with walking paths, a children’s play area and art installations.
Over 100 new trees will be planted with a smart-drip irrigation system to reduce maintenance and water demand. Extending the tree canopy into the new parking lot will help keep the area cooler, making it more comfortable for visitors during hot summer months. In winter months, the hospital’s main entrance and emergency department entrance will remain clear of snow and ice thanks to a below-ground snow-melt system.
These features are not what some of us connect to health care but, for our coming generations, it is important that the building staff - and patient-centered design and sustainability features focus on the future. This future-forward perspective ensures that our new community hospital will be viable
and serve us well upon opening and into the future decades being able to pivot ourselves to meet the demands, needs, and technologies of future generations.
This doesn’t mean that our community should think our job is done. Our hospital will always need community support and advocacy. HHS has been integrating our influences at the municipal, regional, and community level and it should be counted upon to continue and build upon this foundation for years to come.
If the West Niagara community identifies an improvement opportunity to reflect our needs, we should work with HHS towards that goal. That is how our community hospital will achieve its potential.
This new hospital should be looked at with a sense of pride in accomplishment. Without our determined and resilient West Niagara community, we feel we would not be at this point – ready to walk through the doors of the new facility that has an incredibly bright future.
(Tony Joosse, Tom Estall, and Cindy Toth have served as co-chairs of the Save & Rebuild WLMH community group).
Some of he crew that keeps the lights on at WLMH: (L to R) Alan Buxton, director of facilities management; Guillermo Restepo, WLMH plumber; Andrew Harrison, facilities management site manager (MUMC and WLMH); Tom Gundic, facilities management supervisor for WLMH, and; David Diliberti, WLMH HVAC mechanic.
Jim Marando D.Ch.
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist
Spencer Farrow D.Ch., B.Sc.
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist
Diana Farrow D.Ch., B.Sc.
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist
Christine Remigis D.Ch., B.Sc. (H.Kin)
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist
Amisha Patel D.Ch., B.Sc.
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist
Eric Docherty D.Ch., B.Sc.
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist
PATIENTS
NIAGARA FOOT CARE CLINIC
AND ORTHOTIC CENTRE
270 Main Street East, Grimsby, ON 905-309-6747
Fitch Street Plaza, 200 Fitch Street, Welland, ON. 905-732.3668 www.niagarafootcareclinic.com
Juat a handful of the Niagara West residents who made their way to Queen’s Park for a Save WLMH rally in October 2018 - one of many stops on the long road to this month’s opening of the new build.
New WLMH brings WOW factor
By Dr. Gary Benson
My first reaction to the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital was simple: wow!
I recently had a chance to tour the new building, which is set to open later this month and everyone I’ve spoken with who has toured it feels the same way.
The new hospital is bright, spacious, and long overdue.
After almost 30 years of trying to replace the old, crowded building, this new facility feels like a dream finally realized. What follows are my personal impressions from the tour - leaving the details about specific services to others.
West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is now the newest and most modern community hospital in the province. It has state-of-the-art equipment and much more room to provide care than before. There are more operating rooms and they are better equipped. The Emergency Department is much larger, with many more exam rooms to see patients quickly and safely.
All in-patient rooms are now private rooms. They are bright, comfortable, and designed to make a hospital stay less stressful and to support faster recovery. There is also a large outpatient area so that more specialty clinics can run on-site - services we simply
did not have room for in the old building.
Our hospital is now part of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS). Although the amalgamation has sometimes been controversial, HHS has done an excellent job planning and building the new hospital. Being part of the HHS system means we can now offer some services locally that used to require a trip to Hamilton. With expanded space - especially in the ORs - we can also take on some procedures that were previously done in Hamilton, freeing up their hospitals for more complex cases.
It is our responsibility, as a community, to help buy new equipment and replace older machines as they wear out. Supporting the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation and the WLM Auxiliary in their fundraising efforts is essential if we want to maintain high-quality care close to home.
The WLMH Foundation raised $50 million as the local share for building, equipping, and furnishing the new hospital. Now, ongoing funding is needed to keep up our high standard of clinical care.
As a teaching hospital for McMaster University’s medical school, we can now welcome more learners at different stages of their training. This is very important. Training students here in our community helps us attract and keep doctors and other health-care providers in the years ahead.
Even though the building is new, our hospital still needs strong community support. It is thanks to decades of generosity from local residents that we were able to reach our longstanding goal of a new hospital. That support must continue.
The government funds hospital operations, but it does not pay for medical equipment.
The Tree of Healthy Wishes campaign at Christmas is one example of a Foundation project that relies on your support.
You might also consider volunteering with the WLM Auxiliary. Auxiliary volunteers help raise money for the hospital, including through the hospital Coffee Shop, which alone has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase equipment over the years.
Our communities can be proud of this new hospital and of the support that made it possible. It will serve us well today and for generations to come.
(Dr. Benson, now retired, was WLMH’s medical director and long-time chief of staff)
DR. GARY BENSON
A New Chapter of Care Begins
Thanks to the vision, generosity, and unwavering support of our community, the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital stands as a symbol of hope, healing and progress.
Together, we have built more than a hospital - we’ve built a legacy of care that will serve generations to come.
The West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation is proud to be part of the new beginning.
