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Campaign to redevelop Stevenson Memorial Hospital relaunches with new goal of raising $80 million

July 3, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation has relaunched and rebranded its fundraising campaign in support of hospital redevelopment, increasing its goal from $43 million to $80 million. 

The capital campaign’s relaunch is due to the rising cost to complete the project, and it was announced during an event held at the Nottawasaga Resort on Wednesday, June 25. Dignitaries, Stevenson Memorial Hospital personnel, and members of the public were in attendance.

The campaign, titled “Because of You,” needs the support of the community to reach its new fundraising target.

Construction has already started at the hospital and the redevelopment is now in the first stages of redesign.

Once completed, the new hospital will feature an expanded emergency department, tripling in size to improve wait times and emergency care with trauma bays, isolation rooms, and dedicated spaces for mental health crises.

A new diagnostic imaging suite will include the hospital’s first-ever MRI, a new CT scanner, and two additional X-ray machines, along with other new equipment.

The new facility will have 47 private in-patient rooms with ensuite washrooms, including two dedicated palliative care suites and a new four-bed enhanced care unit.

Because of the region’s growing population, the hospital will have five modern labour and delivery rooms to support the family demographic.

The campaign was re-launched after inflation and other factors made the cost of construction higher than the initial estimates with a new price tag of $80 million. The previous campaign, called “Because of you, we can,” was aiming to raise $43 million. 

“Thank you all for supporting Stevenson Memorial Hospital. Your unwavering commitment has brought us to this pivotal point in this campaign,” said Dr. Ted Vandevis, board chair of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation, as he addressed those in attendance at the re-launch announcement. “This is an opportunity to build a hospital, not just for today, but for generations. As the chair of the Foundation’s board of directors, I want to reaffirm our responsible stewardship. We are entrusted with your gifts, whether from individuals, families, businesses, corporations, and community groups. Rest assured, every dollar is managed with the utmost care.”

Because of You Campaign chair Sylvia Biffis has been heavily involved with the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation for many years. She and her family have raised a lot of funds for the hospital through the Nottawasaga Foundation.

“The saying is, that it takes a community to raise a family – it also takes a community to make sure we have the services that our growing community needs,” Biffis said. “We rely on the support of everybody here, and everybody that lives here. We need to make sure our hospital is serving all of our needs, from young to old, and everything in between.”

“It was 2019 when we stood here before the community with a bold dream about redevelopment for Stevenson. Along the way, we needed to ensure that the vision was there – the vision for redevelopment for a hospital that will serve the future needs of our growing community,” Biffis continued. “It takes years of work. There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point. Since the campaign launch, there has been a lot of generous contributions from local families, from our businesses, volunteers, and the champions who carried us to this particular moment. Each donation, large or small, and all those community events make a difference.”

The rising cost of construction and other influences mean the needed funds for the project have also gone up.

“A lot has changed from 2019,” Ms. Biffis said. “Construction costs have skyrocketed, building codes are more rigorous, and infection control is a new urgency and mandate. Our vision, along with all these changes, had to evolve as well. These enhancements come with an increased cost. Our fundraising goal has to reflect this. Our new campaign goals are ambitious, but it is community powered – it’s $80 million – it’s what we need to get there.”

While it is a lot of money, Ms. Biffis and the entire fundraising team believe it is achievable with the support of donors and the community at large. 

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