Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) Redevelopment

The Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) Redevelopment Project in northern Ontario will deliver a new healthcare campus in Moosonee and a new ambulatory care centre on Moose Factory Island.

WAHA and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) awarded the contract to Pomerleau Healthcare Partners (PHP), with Kasian selected as the design lead for the project, in partnership with Bertrand Wheeler Architecture Inc.

The guiding principle of this design is not only to replace aging hospital infrastructure with resilient, functional, state-of-the-art buildings, but to serve as a genuine act of reconciliation. Engagement with the Cree First Nations communities served by WAHA fostered trust, dialogue, and involvement throughout all stages of the project. Feedback from WAHA and community members from across the region incorporated elements that further connect the design to the region’s natural landscape and Cree culture.

The redevelopment project is being delivered using the Progressive Public-Private Partnership (P3) Design Build Finance (DBF) model, which is dependent upon a high level of collaboration between all parties including: the design team, the constructors, clinical and support services users from WAHA, the Planning Design and Compliance (PDC) team, members of the broader Indigenous community, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care, Indigenous Services Canada and Infrastructure Ontario.

Design of the redevelopment project began in December 2022 with the project targeting a 2030 completion.