Jump to:
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021


Sarnia General Hospital

Sarnia, ON Canada
Formerly 198 Beds, 175,000 square feet on 7.5 acres.

Sarnia General Hospital

View the Sarnia General Hospital Site Plan.


An old hospital closes with decommissioning beginning in 2011 and the final brick falling seven years later in 2018. What would become of St. Elizabeth's and St. Luke's? How many years and at what cost to repurpose? And what of the new uses?

Sarnia General, its buildings measuring 175,000 square feet, cost between $7M to 8M to demolish. That translates to a cost of $42.85 per square feet for abatement, demolition, and regrading soil for redevelopment.

St. Elizabeths, per a recent reports, "The site consists of two (2) parcels totaling approximately 17 acres and features a multi-story medical facility, parking garage, and surface parking lots. The hospital building is comprised of five (5) major additions dating as far back as the 1950s and most recently as 2008." Stated elsewhere is 369,700 square feet [Ref.]. Also from a St. Elizabeth Brochure, "Our St. Elizabeth Campus occupies a 25-acre campus with 201 acute-care beds.

Cost to Demo, Repurpose Site, at St. Elizabeth's

Using a cost of $42.85 per sq. ft. for abatement, demolition, and regrading soil for redevelopment, the 369,700 sq. ft. St. Elizabeths, would cost $15,841,645!


The UticaOD carries a story titled, Repurposing study sees new life for Utica-area hospitals, however residents only see four brief pages, with zero details, see MVHS Facility Repurposing Study Summary.


January 26, 2020 - Report states, Development progressing at former hospital site.

Most, maybe all, of the residential lots at the former Sarnia General Hospital site have been sold, one of the businessmen behind the property development says. “At least they’re all under negotiation right now,” Kenn Poore of GFive Inc. said about the 14 single-family build residential lots set up with servicing in the wake of group’s demolition of the former hospital. “We believe they are all gone.”


September 9, 2019 - COLUMN: All invited to unveiling of General Hospital time capsule

“Shrink-wrapped cornerstones from Sarnia General Hospital date to the original 1895 building, the “new wing” in 1928 and the final rebuild in 1952.”


August 31, 2019 - Developer of former hospital site offers lots for sale, Lots available immediately. Eleven lots (41 feet by 73 feet) on the south side of Essex Street, and 3 on the north side of Bright Street. Indicates four lots have sold!


March 2, 2019 - Council considering SGH redevelopment plans Monday.

"Plans include 11 single family residential dwelling lots for the north block of the site fronting on Essex Street, with two commercial blocks fronting on Mitton Street... It also allows the city, as part of our separating sewers project in the southern portion of the city to stop pollution to the St. Clair River, to do some major work there."

"The final bricks of the old hospital came down in November. Demolition and abatement took 14 months to complete."


May 9, 2018 - Redeveloper, GFive, reports; Busy recycling the foundation of the west wing continues... "Some minor extra noise while crushing concrete this week. Returning compacted native soil to the hole."


October 1, 2018 - Demolition almost done at former Sarnia General Hospital

"The final sections of the former Sarnia General Hospital are expected to come down this month... The next step is for GFive to apply for an Official Plan amendment and proceed with commercial and residential development."


November 20, 2018 - The last brick falls at former Sarnia General Hospital site

"In 9-0 vote, council agreed last summer to sell the land to GFive for $1,000. In return, the city agreed to give the developers $5.4 million to raze, remediate and rebuild on the derelict site. The still evolving plan calls for a mix of new housing, offices and possibly commercial space."


August 2, 2018 - Story states, Hospital demolition delayed, where one reads in part...

"There are 18-25 people from three companies every day pulling out harmful materials from the building, he said. “If it wasn’t for stuff on the inside of the building, (the hospital) would be long gone and for cheaper,” he said. “The expense is in this abatement process.”

Plans are to focus first – once the 1890s-built hospital is gone – on 11 new residential lots planned for Essex and Bright streets, Lumley said. “Because that we know for sure,” he said. “Then the rest of it, we have to wait and see what the community wants and needs basically.” The group received approval for 4,800 square metres (52,000 square feet) of commercial and medical space in its rezoning and official plan amendment, granted by city council in May.

That includes potential space for a 24-bed, $8.8-million residential withdrawal management facility to help people detox from drug and alcohol addiction.


February 8, 2018 - Work crews “unbuilding” former Sarnia General Hospital

”Estimates for the demolition have been around $8.9 million for the 7.5 acres property"


SEMC in Utica has a parking garage, Sarnia Genera doesn't. What did Rome, NY spend recently to demolish it's parking garage? Add this cost to the SEMC price tag? See, Asbestos at parking garage adds cost, time to demo project... "The Board of Estimate and Contract voted to approve an $18,950 increase to cover the cost added by abatement, bringing the contract total to $1,032,093."


January 5, 2018 - A new chapter beginning for Sarnia General Hospital lands

"Sarnia police were called to 116 incidents at the hospital site after it closed in 2011, according to a May report. What’s more, officers made 24 arrests and laid a staggering 56 charges in connection with the old hospital over that time, data compiled by Police Chief Phil Nelson indicated."


August 1, 2017 - The former Sarnia General Hospital building (photo)


September 22, 2017 - It’s really happening – the demolition of Sarnia General Hospital about to begin

"The company’s five principals — Charles Dally, Alex Jongsma, Mark Lumley, Kenn Poore and Marty Raaymakers – purchased 7.5 acres of city-owned land for just $1,000."


July 31, 2017 - Local newspaper, the The Sarnia Observer, hosts a Facbook Conversation regarding news of demolition. Also posts this story, Demolition and redevelopment plan approved for the Sarnia General Hospital site.

"Council Monday unanimously approved the project – full demolition of the vacant, deteriorating and asbestos-ridden former hospital site at Mitton and George streets, to be replaced with residential lots, and new commercial and medical buildings."

“It’s become a very unsafe part of the city now,” he said. “There are people who are very unfortunate and are living in the hospital site.”


July 10, 2017 - The Observer reports, Public input on latest Sarnia General Hospital proposal planned for July 31, city staff say.

"Citizens will get their say on the latest idea to finally rid the city of the derelict former Sarnia General Hospital building...


January 26, 2017 - UPDATED: Hospital assessing breach of patient information

“Asked why anything containing patient information was still sitting around in an abandoned hospital, Oosterman said that following its decommissioning in 2011 a company was hired to clear it out.”


January 3, 2017 - Former Sarnia General Hospital site for sale — again

"The five investors entered into a legal agreement with the city in September of 2014 to purchase the derelict hospital site for $1,000 and redevelop it into a $15-million medical campus."


June 17, 2014 - OPINION: Our old hospital in General terms

The fate of the old Sarnia General Hospital has been in limbo for nearly three years… Whoever the potential investors, they are apparently interested in a project that would require partial demolition of the building complex, the oldest wing of which dates to 1929… With any luck, the land bounded by Mitton, George, Mackenzie and Essex will be reborn soon into a productive city block again.


June 5, 2013 - Reading, More talk needed after hospital decommissioning funding falls short, one learns...

"The 117-year-old Mitton Street hospital in Sarnia has been sitting vacant since 2011, when Bluewater Health consolidated its city operations in a massive renovation."

"The hospital corporation had applied for $1.7 million from the province to decommission the building — 94% of which was to take out asbestos from some areas, said Mike Lapaine, Bluewater Health’s Chief Operating Officer. The ministry’s response: $75,000. Ontario’s policy is to only cover decommissioning costs — boarding windows, shutting off utilities, etc., Lapaine said."

"Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says the province’s decision is unfair given that Ontario has committed $4 million for demolition of Windsor’s Grace Hospital, and most of the $15 million estimated for demolition of the abandoned South St. Victoria Hospital campus in London.... But every scenario involves levelling the building, he said, which comes with a hefty $7.1 million estimated price tag."


SGH Timeline

SGH Site Plan

1963 – East Wing is constructed, it included the community’s first Psychiatric Unit.

1956 – A Nurses’ residence was built on Essex Street. Repurposed and still in use at time of closing.

1954 – The "Second" SGH is built.

1929 - The George Street "South" opened increasing capacity to 100 beds. In later years, it would become known as the West Wing.

1922 – Nurses’ Residence on George Street built. Razed in 1957 to make way for the construction of the East Wing.

1896 – Original SGH is built, replaced in 1954 (older portion demolished?).


You can help, please join us on Facebook #NoHospitalDowntown. Also consider adding your voice to Hundreds of People Saying, "No Hospital Downtown". Get to know BUD, that's the future of the Columbia Lafayette Neighborhood!



No Studies, No Reports, thus we remain #NoHospitalDowntown