Five complete tenders were received with R.E. Hein Construction from Kanata, Ontario submitting the lowest bid. Other companies that submitted bids include Bondfield Construction Company Limited, Concord; Eastern Construction Company Limited, Toronto; EllisDon Construction, Mississauga; and Harbridge and Cross Limited, Concord.

"It was encouraging to note that the bid amounts that were submitted were in very close range," explains Brenda DeKoker, Chair, Board of Governors, Ross Memorial Hospital. "Our next step is to submit the necessary documentation to the Ministry of Health, along with a recommendation that the Ministry approve the award of the construction contract to the lowest bidder."

Ross Memorial plans to submit its recommendations to the Ministry on February 8th; and while it is not known how long the Ministry will need to provide this approval, it is hoped that their response will be timely. "We were very pleased to see that the tendered costs that were returned to us were lower than the previous cost estimates," says Mrs. DeKoker. "We are optimistic that with these results, the Ministry will provide its approval for us to award the construction contract to the lowest bidder within a few weeks."

Once the Ministry of Health approves Ross Memorial's recommendations, the Hospital will award the contract and construction will then begin within two to three weeks. It is then expected that construction will take approximately two and a half years to complete.

"This is the final stage of approval that we need from the Ministry of Health to move forward with construction," says Mrs. DeKoker. "We are very appreciative of the ongoing support that we have received from the Ministry. We will soon have the opportunity to realize our vision of an expanded, full service health care facility as it builds before our very eyes."

With the bids now in, the cost of the expansion project, including construction, equipment, fees and land, will be $48 million. Ross Memorial's expansion will include the doubling in size of the emergency department; a new inpatient mental health program and facilities; a new complex continuing care wing that will accommodate palliative care and rehabilitation; a new outpatient centre; more inpatient beds; and a new suite for the CT scanner.

Upon completion, Ross Memorial Hospital's bed capacity will increase from 156 beds to 218. As well, the Hospital will increase in size from its current 186,000 square feet to 305,000 square feet. Additionally, there will be renovations to 20,000 square feet of the existing building.