Sutcliffe says Ottawa will not pay for hospital cost overruns after province's share rises to $10 billion
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told reporters Thursday that the City of Ottawa will not cover the sharply higher cost of building the new Civic Campus, after Ontario's infrastructure minister said the provincial share has grown from $2.1 billion to close to $10 billion.
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Ontario Infrastructure Minister David Piccini told a committee on Wednesday that the province's share of the new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus had grown from $2.1 billion to close to $10 billion. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe responded on Thursday by saying the City of Ottawa will not be paying the difference.
CTV News Ottawa reported Sutcliffe speaking to reporters at a separate event on Thursday. "The City of Ottawa is not going to cover billions and billions of dollars of additional costs for the hospital. That's not our jurisdiction," he said. "Health care's a provincial responsibility. Hospital construction is a provincial responsibility. So, if the cost of the project has gone up, then that's a question for the Ministry of Health."
What the original plan said
The new Civic Campus, under construction near Dow's Lake, was originally projected to cost $2.8 billion. The province was to cover $2.1 billion, with a local share covering the remaining $700 million. The Ottawa Hospital Foundation launched a $500 million fundraising campaign to cover most of the local share. The foundation said earlier this year that it had reached 80 per cent of that goal, CTV News Ottawa reported.
The Ottawa Hospital also made a request to the City of Ottawa in 2022 for $150 million toward construction costs. Sutcliffe said Thursday that City staff have been asked to produce a report outlining how the City could contribute that amount. "When that report comes back, we'll consider it at council," he said.
Province and hospital stay quiet
After Piccini's comments at the committee on Wednesday, both the province and the Ottawa Hospital declined to confirm the new price when CTV News Ottawa asked them directly. The province said its investments in Ottawa were part of a broader $64 billion provincewide plan. The Ottawa Hospital said construction timelines and costs were being finalized with partners and the Ministry of Health, and it would share more details "soon."
Liberals demand answers
The Ontario Liberal Party put out a statement Thursday demanding the Ford government release a full, itemized breakdown of spending on the project and confirm that Ottawa residents would not be required to cover a higher local share. "There is no other job in which you can overspend by five times what you had originally estimated," said John Fraser, Interim Liberal Leader and MPP for Ottawa South, according to CTV News Ottawa.
Orléans MPP Stephen Blais told Newstalk 580 CFRA he wanted the province to keep the local share capped at the original estimate. He said some people close to the project were privately suggesting construction would not be finished until the early to mid 2030s, though neither the province nor the hospital has confirmed that timeline.
Ottawa residents can track Mayor Sutcliffe's decisions on the /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe page and follow City Council's response to the hospital funding question as it comes back to council.
Questions this story answers
What did Mayor Sutcliffe say about the new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus on October 29?
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told reporters Thursday that the City of Ottawa will not take on the extra cost of building the new Civic Campus. He said health care and hospital construction are the province's responsibility. 'The City of Ottawa is not going to cover billions and billions of dollars of additional costs for the hospital. That's not our jurisdiction,' he said, according to CTV News Ottawa.
How much has the cost of the new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus grown?
The new Civic Campus, being built near Dow's Lake, was originally projected to cost $2.8 billion. Ontario's share was set at $2.1 billion, with a local share covering the remaining $700 million. On Wednesday, October 28, Ontario Infrastructure Minister David Piccini told a committee that the province's investment was now approaching $10 billion, which is close to five times the original provincial estimate, according to CTV News Ottawa.
What is the local share for the new Ottawa Hospital and who is paying it?
The local share of the original $2.8 billion cost was set at $700 million. The Ottawa Hospital Foundation launched a $500 million fundraising campaign to cover much of the local share, and earlier in 2026 said it had reached 80 per cent of that goal, CTV News Ottawa reported. The Ottawa Hospital also made a $150 million request to the City of Ottawa in 2022. Mayor Sutcliffe said Thursday that City staff have been asked to find solutions totalling $150 million, and the City will consider the report when it comes back to council.
Has the province or the Ottawa Hospital confirmed the new cost?
No. CTV News Ottawa reported that officials from the province and from the Ottawa Hospital declined to comment on the price when asked on Wednesday after Minister Piccini's remarks. The province said its investments in Ottawa were part of a broader $64 billion provincewide plan. The Ottawa Hospital said its construction timelines and project costs were being finalized and it would share details 'soon.'
What are Ontario Liberals saying about the cost increase?
The Ontario Liberal Party put out a statement on Thursday demanding the Ford government release a full, itemized breakdown of project spending. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser, who is also the MPP for Ottawa South, said no other job allows spending five times the quoted price. Orléans MPP Stephen Blais said it would not be feasible or fair to ask the local share to grow by the same amount, and called on the province to keep the local share capped at the original amount.
When is the new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus expected to open?
The original 2021 plan called for construction to begin in 2024 and the facility to open four years later. Orléans MPP Stephen Blais told Newstalk 580 CFRA that he expected construction would not be finished this decade, saying sources close to the project were privately pointing to the early to mid 2030s. Neither the province nor the Ottawa Hospital has confirmed a current opening date, according to CTV News Ottawa.
Where is the new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus being built?
The new Civic Campus is under construction near Dow's Lake in Ottawa. The site is directly across from the hospital's current building. The land was approved after a plan to build on the Central Experimental Farm fell through. The original Civic Campus opened in 1924.
What can Ottawa residents expect next regarding the hospital funding question?
City staff are working on a report about how the City of Ottawa could contribute $150 million toward the local share. Mayor Sutcliffe said the City will review that report when it comes back to council. The province and the Ottawa Hospital Foundation are still discussing costs and timelines. Ottawa residents following this can track Mayor Sutcliffe's decisions at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe.
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