The Barrie Memorial Hospital will soon be equipped with a new CT scanner.
The arrival of the new equipment, which should be ready for use as early as this December, was confirmed by Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette during a June 25 press conference at the Ormstown-based hospital.
The replacement of the current scanner was deemed necessary to maintain access to diagnostic care and to support the hospital’s operations, including emergency services. The project was prioritized in the hospital’s 2026 capital budget and is expected to cost just under $2 million, including $1 million for the equipment and an additional $900,000 for renovation work to modernize and adapt the hospital’s facilities.
“Replacing the CT scanner represents a significant investment for our regional hospital,” said Mallette. “This will ensure that high-quality, accessible medical imaging services remain available to our local community,” she explained, while pointing out that the Barrie Memorial is the only hospital in the Huntingdon riding.
“We are in a region that is experiencing population growth and an aging population,” said Dominique Pilon, the president and CEO of Santé Québec Montérégie-Ouest (SQMO). “This scanner is a step that will bring new services and improve existing ones,” he explained, while noting that both the Barrie Memorial Hospital Foundation as well as the Women’s Auxiliary will donate $500,000 to the project, which is scheduled to start in August.
“We are carrying on the fine tradition of a hospital that has been providing care and services for decades and decades, and we must keep it going,” said Pilon, before pointing out that least 21 new employees have joined the staff at the Barrie in the past two months as part of the largest hiring boom in recent years.
“It’s the work of an entire community, and we are going to keep doing it!” he exclaimed.
The new scanner is a brand new 128-slice model, which provides a much sharper image when compared with the soon-to-be-retired 64-slice device. “This will lead to more accurate diagnoses and will help clinical teams to understand the conditions or situation a patient is facing, which will allow them to provide better care,” said Dr. Caroline Bourassa Foulop, the SQMO’s director of medical and specialized services.
“Not only will it help patients now, it guarantees access to a fully functional machine that is truly essential for point-of-care services over the next 10 to 15 years,” she added. The scanner will also help harmonize waiting lists at the Barrie, the Hôpital du Suroît in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, and the Anna Laberge Hospital in Châteauguay.
Ormstown mayor Philippe Besombes heralded the arrival of the scanner. “For those who were worried the hospital might close, that’s not on the table,” he said, while pointing out that such an investment demonstrates The SQMO’s commitment to ensuring the hospital’s long-term future.
He emphasized the significant contribution by the Hospital Foundation and the Women’s Auxiliary. The $1 million that has been pledged in support of the project was raised entirely from fundraising campaigns and donations. “It shows just how close-knit our community is, and how much we care about this hospital,” he said. “It is a gem, and we need to take good care of it.”
Claude Duquette, the president of the hospital foundation, agreed with Besombes. “You can see that everyone is working toward the same goal,” he said. “And since we still have plenty of great projects for our hospital, we will be reaching out once again to ask them to help us,” he smiled.
“We are excited to be able to contribute to our hospital, both inside and out, thanks to our generous community” added JoAnn McClintock of the Women’s Auxiliary, who noted the group is also in discussions to upgrade the hospital’s exterior.