Hospital Renaming: West Niagara Memorial Hospital
Special Council Meeting
As part of the Hospital Renaming Project, a Special Council Meeting has been set for Thursday, May 9th and the Town of Grimsby will accept delegation requests until Wednesday, May 8th at noon.
The detailed agenda for this meeting can be found at: https://www.grimsby.ca/HospitalRenamingCouncilMeeting/
Delegation form can be found at: https://www.grimsby.ca/en/town-hall/speaking-at-committee-or-council_aspx.aspx
As a reminder the public survey is open until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8th. Survey can be found at the bottom of this page. Paper copies are also available at Town Hall.
Background
We’ve heard you. Over the last two weeks, we’ve received feedback from several Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln community members. We are grateful for your passion and care towards the hospital as a cherished resource for our communities. We recognize that the current engagement was limited in scope and timing and apologize for this.
Some have expressed desire for more comprehensive public consultation about the request to rename the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH). The project team is pivoting to refine our current strategy and extend the time period for public engagement. The municipalities are working in collaboration with Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation (WLMHF) to bring this to fruition. All Council Members within Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln will also have the opportunity to discuss the proposed name change at each of the Council/Committee meetings.
While the municipalities continue to seek feedback from their respective residents through public engagement, HHS continues to conduct internal engagement with the WLMH workforce. This engagement is imperative to the decision-making process and will be ongoing into early spring 2024.
The partnering organizations will review the feedback received and discuss next steps in the early spring. Next steps could include further planning towards a name change or proceeding with the current name of ‘WLMH’. Ultimately, renaming the hospital requires approval by the HHS board of directors, as outlined by the Ministry of Health’s hospital renaming directive.
The collective goal is to have a site name that best serves the public interest and the role of the hospital providing excellent patient care. The public’s engagement in this process is vital to achieving this goal.
The New Hospital
West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH), a Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) hospital, is being rebuilt to accommodate the growing health care needs of west Niagara’s communities. Public support of the new hospital has been overwhelmingly positive, as local residents acknowledge this important endeavour and have demonstrated unwavering commitment to this redevelopment project.
Proposed New Name: West Niagara Memorial Hospital
The Mayors of the Town of Grimsby, Town of Lincoln, Township of West Lincoln and the Chair of Niagara Region have submitted a request to Hamilton Health Sciences to change the name of the new hospital to West Niagara Memorial Hospital. The municipalities, region, WLMH Foundation and HHS are sharing information about the process with the community in support of this request.
The proposed new name not only aims to better reflect the geography in which the hospital is located, but also more accurately represents the broader communities the hospital serves. Similarly, including “West Niagara” in the new name follows recent precedent in naming other community infrastructures, such as the West Niagara Secondary School and the West Niagara Agricultural Centre & Fairgrounds. Names not only identify, they provide historical connections and symbolize the communities in which they belong.
A decision about the new name for the hospital is expected to be made in spring 2024, and the new name will be effective upon the opening of the new hospital in mid-2025.
Watch in Real Time! Hospital construction live feed - see video below.
About the WLMH Rebuild
The WLMH redevelopment project is currently in the construction phase after breaking ground in spring 2022. The new hospital is being built directly behind the existing building located at 169 Main St. E, Grimsby.
WLMH provides both inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency services, complex and palliative care, surgery, and maternal and newborn care. The new hospital will be approximately 80 per cent larger than the existing hospital, and enhance patient capacity, comfort and care throughout.
The new, modernized facility will support the community’s evolving health care needs and the workforce’s ability to provide exceptional care. As a site of HHS, WLMH serves as a point of access to one of the largest health systems in Canada for patients requiring more specialized care.
- Learn more about the WLMH redevelopment project
- Support the WLMH Foundation and the redevelopment project
Stay Up-to-Date
If you would like to stay informed of ongoing West Lincoln Memorial Hospital updates, you can subscribe to their newsletter.
Do you have questions about the hospital renaming?
You can submit them in the "Questions" section below.
Survey
Please complete the survey below to provide your feedback on whether you're in favour of changing the name of the hospital.