Pass anywhere near Dow’s Lake these days and you’ll find a flurry of construction activity. There’s not much to see yet — aside from a massive parking garage taking shape — but crews are laying the groundwork for what is the largest healthcare infrastructure project in our city’s history.

In the coming years, and through several phases, The Ottawa Hospital’s campus will rise up — a new state-of-the-art facility built to serve the region for generations. It’s a massive project that will amount to two and a half million square feet.

The new healthcare centre will feature 641 private patient rooms, advanced surgical suites, cutting-edge information and systems technology, a rooftop heliport, integrated research and education spaces, and a design focused on patient comfort, efficiency and community accessibility.

Some 200 guests at The President’s Dinner on Tuesday listened to Chantal Theriault share her personal patient experience, helping them to better understand why the new multi-billion-dollar hospital campus matters when it comes to next-level innovation and research. Her story was part of an evening designed to both inspire and inform attendees about the new campus and the future of healthcare.

Dr. Rebecca Auer on stage with Cameron Love and Tim Kluke at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Theriault is also a longtime employee at The Ottawa Hospital. She was diagnosed at age 37 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. “Just over five years ago, I developed a tremor in my hand, which made its way into my arm and eventually my leg,” she told the audience at Rogers Centre Ottawa. “I kept saying, ‘Shake it off, kid’.”

When she was given her diagnosis, she thought of actor Michael J. Fox and famed boxer Muhammad Ali — two of the most recognizable public figures to have lived with Parkinson’s, a progressive neurological disorder that steadily worsens over time. There is no cure. Not yet, anyway.

Theriault, a program coordinator in the critical care department at The Ottawa Hospital, is proudly benefitting from the research led by award-winning scientist Dr. Michael Schlossmacher. “My tremors are well managed with medication today (except right now because I’m a little nervous),” she added on stage.

The patient has also been actively fundraising through her passion for kickboxing, having raised $28,000 to date. She told her audience she hopes to make a difference that extends well beyond her own time.

“I believe there will be a cure for Parkinson’s. Maybe not in my lifetime — I may not be around to see it — but I know it’s coming.

“I, of course, do hope I get to see it.”

The audience gave Theriault a standing ovation as she left the stage, where she was met with a hug from Tim Kluke, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

Critical care physician and Campaign to Create Tomorrow co-chair Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng and patient Chantal Theriault, program coordinator in the critical care department at The Ottawa Hospital, at the President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

No organization in Ottawa has taken on a bigger fundraising challenge than The Ottawa Hospital Foundation with its goal to raise $500 million as part of its Campaign to Create Tomorrow. Currently, it’s nearly three-quarters of the way there with $366 million raised.

“There’s a place for everyone in the campaign,” reminded the foundation’s chief development officer, Jennifer Van Noort, whose boundless enthusiasm for fundraising shows no signs of slowing.

Leading the campaign in volunteer leadership roles are Ginger Bertrand, co-founder of Neue Theory; Jeff Clarke, CEO of Inflector Environmental Services; Kevin Ford, retiring CEO of Calian; and critical care physician and department head Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, who was in attendance. There are also 120 volunteers across the region working to spread the word, said Van Noort.

The founding campaign chair, Roger Greenberg, executive board chair of Minto Group and executive chair/managing partner of OSEG (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group), continues to serve as chair emeritus. His belief is that all great communities are built on four pillars: sports and recreation, arts and entertainment, education and healthcare, the audience heard.

Guests got the inside scoop on the new campus development during an on-stage Q&A with Cameron Love, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, and Dr. Rebecca Auer, executive vice-president of research and innovation at The Ottawa Hospital and CEO and scientific director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. The conversation was led by Tim Kluke.

Jennifer Van Noort, chief development officer for The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, welcomed 200 guests to The President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

John French and Louise French, guests of The President’s Dinner hosted by The Ottawa Hospital, alongside Jonelle Istead, the new associate vice president of philanthropy at The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips.

The issue of parking came up, as it inevitably does. “I can never get away with a presentation without talking about parking, for whatever reason,” quipped Love, who promised there will be “more than enough parking” on site.

Getting the parking garage built first was a priority to accommodate the thousands of construction workers on site, needing a place for their vehicles. Its prominent front-facing position, Love explained, will ensure accessibility and smooth traffic flow at the new campus.

The site is being developed with future needs in mind, including capacity to expand to 1,100 beds and eventually add the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. “I’d suggest to you that this community probably has one of the greatest opportunities of any community across Canada right now with the ability to … reshape health care,” said Love.

Dr. Auer discussed the potential for current medical research to transform patient outcomes. She also emphasized the “game-changing” role of philanthropy, especially for early-stage research that often doesn’t receive government funding because it exists only as a vision or an idea. That kind of support, she added, also gives researchers something just as valuable: “the knowledge that their community and their hospital believe in what they’re doing.”

Jamie Meldrum, partner and co-founder at employee benefits and business consulting firm Meldrum Horne, Kristin Ouimet, franchise owner of UROSPOT, and Sarah Grand, salesperson at Engel & Völkers Ottawa and a member of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation board, at the President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Dr. Rebecca Auer (executive vice-president of research and innovation at The Ottawa Hospital and CEO and scientific director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute), Cameron Love (president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital) and Tim Kluke (president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, at The President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Dennis Laurin, founder and chairman of LAURIN, and his wife, Andrea Laurin, at the President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Tim Kluke, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, on stage during The President’s Dinner. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Graham Bird, president at GBA Group, and former Ottawa mayor Jim Durrell, campaign patron of the Campaign to Create Tomorrow, at the President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Dr. Darryl D’Costa and Shannon Lambert, owners of the new Vibrance aesthetic treatment clinic, Elizabeth Lahey (The Properties Group) and Brett Nicholds, CEO at Illumisoft Lighting, were guests of The President’s Dinner hosted by The Ottawa Hospital on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 to learn more about the development of the new hospital campus. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Award-winning retired tech industry leader Steve Spooner, who’s on the board of governors with The Ottawa Hospital, and his wife, Donna Spooner, at the President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Lynda Carter, partner at MNP, alongside the firm’s regional managing partner Michael Dimitriou, and Kayla Seipp, also a partner at MNP, at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Dr. Rebecca Auer on stage with Cameron Love and Tim Kluke at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Ishrat Balaa, marketing manager at Sandoz Canada, and Dr. Fady Balaa, chair of the department of surgery at The Ottawa Hospital, at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Jennifer Van Noort (The Ottawa Hospital Foundation), Janet McKeage, board chair of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and senior investment counsellor at RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, and Dr. Rebecca Auer (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute) at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, John Stanton, COO at Myers Automotive Group, and Geoff Publow, CEO of Myers Automotive Group, at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Critical care physician and Campaign to Create Tomorrow co-chair Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng with his wife, psychologist Cathy Kyeremanteng, at The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Walter Boyce and his wife Leslie Boyce were guests of The Ottawa Hospital’s President’s Dinner held at Rogers Centre Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, RBC, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law.

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