Ontario Breaks Ground on New Emergency Department at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia

PETROLIA — The Ontario government has officially broken ground on Bluewater Health’s Rural Health Capital Improvement Project at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia. Supported by a provincial investment of more than $17 million, the project will renovate over 8,200 square feet of existing space and help deliver on the province’s goal to connect every family in Lambton County and the surrounding communities to high-quality care. This project is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario’s health-care system by investing $64 billion in more than 50 major hospital projects across the province.

“Our government is making historic investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system, ensuring that more people can connect to convenient hospital care in their community, when they need it,” said Anthony Leardi, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health. “With shovels in the ground at Bluewater Health’s Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia, our government is ensuring families in Lambton County can access world-class care close to home, for generations to come.”

The renovations will help Bluewater Health to continue delivering high-quality care to approximately 131,000 residents across the region. Construction is expected to be completed by Fall 2029 and support good-paying construction jobs.

Once completed, the renovated hospital will include upgrades to the following departments and services:

• Improvements to the emergency department, including improved triage space, a dedicated waiting area, renovated exam rooms, a new airborne isolation room and a new ambulance entrance

• Upgrades to the diagnostic imaging department, including the x-ray area and associated rooms

• Infrastructure upgrades to improve ageing equipment, including an air handling unit

“Today’s groundbreaking is an exciting moment for our community and an important investment in the future of rural health care,” said Bob Bailey, MPP for Sarnia—Lambton. “Our government recognizes the vital role that hospitals like CEEH play in ensuring people can access quality health care in their own communities. I am proud to see this project move into construction and look forward to the positive impact these improvements will have for patients, families, and health-care professionals across Petrolia and Central Lambton.”

The project is also part of the government’s $64 billion 10-year hospital capital plan, which is projected to support up to 30,000 jobs annually, including 18,000 direct construction jobs and 12,000 jobs in related industries.

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to expand and modernize Ontario’s hospitals, making it faster and easier for people of all ages to connect to the high-quality care they need, where and when they need it.

Quick Facts

• Bluewater Health serves approximately 131,000 residents across Sarnia-Lambton, connecting patients to an array of health-care services, including acute care, complex continuing care and ambulatory care services.

• Over the next 10 years, Ontario is investing approximately $64 billion in major health infrastructure. This is part of the government’s plan to get shovels in the ground on more than 50 major hospital projects across the province, which will deliver approximately 3,000 new hospital beds on top of the 3,500 added since 2020.

• The Ontario government is investing over $281 million in 2026-27 to support critical infrastructure upgrades and repairs at 126 hospitals and 67 community health-care facilities across the province, a 9.4 per cent increase from the previous year.

• In 2026-27, Bluewater Health is receiving over $2.7 million through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund to support the critical infrastructure needs of its hospitals.

Quotes

“Today’s groundbreaking marks an exciting and long-awaited milestone for Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital of Bluewater Health and the rural communities we serve. We are grateful to the Government of Ontario for its significant investment in the future of rural health care, and for recognizing the importance of accessible, high-quality care close to home. This redevelopment will modernize our emergency and diagnostic imaging departments, creating a more welcoming, functional environment for patients, families, and staff. Together with our government, municipal, and community partners, we are investing in the future of health care in Petrolia and Central Lambton for generations to come.”

– Paula Reaume-Zimmer

President and CEO, Bluewater Health

Additional Resources

• Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care

• 2026 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario

Media Contacts

Lily Barnes

Minister Jones’ Office

Lily.Barnes@ontario.ca

Media Relations

Communications Branch

media.moh@ontario.ca