MUHC and Inter-Neighbourhood Coalition form positive community partnership
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Inter-Neighbourhood Coalition, which represents community groups in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Westmount and the Sud-Ouest de Montréal, signed a partnership agreement today supporting the harmonious integration of the MUHC's future Glen Campus health centre within the adjacent neighbourhoods.
"The MUHC is committed to providing access to the very best health care in future-ready facilities, which also create the optimal environment to promote excellence in teaching and research. Nothing pleases us more than strengthening our community ties because serving the community is our raison d'être," said Dr. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the MUHC. "This partnership will let us exchange ideas and address concerns. It's a win-win situation and a model we intend to adopt for our Mountain Campus as well."
The MUHC has been meeting community groups since 2000 to share information about its redevelopment plans. With the Government of Quebec's public announcement in June 2004 of its approval of the MUHC Project, the reasons for formalizing the dialogue with community groups multiplied. The Glen Campus portion of the MUHC's Redevelopment Project has an impact on zoning, traffic, employment, housing and health services, among other things.
The partnership brings together the MUHC, the CLSC Saint-Henri, CLSC Notre-Dame-de-Grâce/Montréal-Ouest, CLSC Métro, the RESO (Regroupement économique et social du Sud-Ouest), Solidarité Saint-Henri, the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Community Council, CDEC Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the Westmount Municipal Association, and the Contactivity Centre.
"The constructive, pragmatic collaboration of the MUHC with local community partners that today's document posits is surely the first step toward a bright future that ensures the prompt and positive resolution of issues of common concern," declared Claude Lauzon, Executive Director of the CDEC Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. "I am convinced it will maximize the benefits of the Glen's newest occupant."
The MUHC Redevelopment Project comprises two campuses: the Glen Campus, which will include among other facilities an ambulatory centre, cancer centre, eye centre and the children's hospital, and the Mountain Campus, whose vocation will focus on trauma and its associated services, including neurosciences, primarily at a renovated Montreal General Hospital (MGH). The $1.1-billion project is already underway, with the removal of commuter rail activities and a request for proposals (RFP) issued for land remediation at the Glen and the first phase of the emergency room renovations in progress at the MGH. Completion of the phased Redevelopment Project is slated for 2010. In the interim, ongoing capital projects will ensure that quality care is maintained at all of the MUHC's sites throughout the redevelopment process.