A decade after Brampton Civic Hospital opened to the public, the provincial government will offer up enough funding for a full complement of patient beds.

Mayor Linda Jeffrey, a former provincial cabinet minister, reacted to the news delivered by Finance Minister Charles Sousa on Monday, Nov. 14 during the government's fall economic statement.

Funding supports the opening of all 608 beds, which has long been a point of contention for residents and local leaders who accused the government of short-changing the community on level of service.

William Osler Health System, the organization that runs Brampton Civic, will receive an increase in base funding to address patient volumes and support improved lengths of stay in the emergency department.

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Brampton Civic Hospital became a lightning rod for controversy even before it opened its doors to the public in 2007 as opponents to the so-called Public-Private Partnership (P3 projects) funding model warned of reduced service levels. The new hospital opened at 479 beds with more brought online incrementally over the years.

It also drew fire for long emergency department wait times.

Monday’s announcement comes on the heels of an announcement on the new Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness on Lynch Street opening in 2017. Brampton taxpayers have already contributed $40 million through a special levy to phase one of the project, with another $20 million committed for subsequent phases.

The former Peel Memorial Hospital was closed down with the opening of Brampton Civic in 2007, and sat vacant for years before being demolished.

Jeffrey said at a meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) last August, members of city council and senior staff, “advocated on behalf of the residents for this increase in funding for BCH to meet our ongoing growth needs.”

The new Peel health campus will focus on ambulatory and urgent care, among other services, as part of a revamp of the way health care is delivered in Ontario.