Reaction is coming in after the Ontario budget was announced Thursday and local leaders are welcoming big spending on highways and hospitals.
The province announced Thursday it plans to spend $158.8 billion over 10 years on infrastructure.
St. Mary's General Hospital and Grand River Hospital will be able to go to the next phase of planning for a new joint acute care facility and expand existing facilities.
From here, the hospitals will start to further identify community needs, the best locations for these services, and figure out how to make this project happen on the fastest timeline.
In a joint release, SMGH AND GRH said, "Waterloo Region is one of the fastest growing areas in Canada. The population we serve in partnership with Cambridge Memorial Hospital and our health system partners will only increase overtime. This planning grant allows us to build for our future."
Provincial spending will also allow the next phase of construction for the new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph.
"Highway 7 is a priority. My understanding is the Frederick Street bridge is the next sort of, main piece of work that needs to be done. They're planning on moving forward with that in the not too distant future," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
He's looking forward to provincial investments growing the local and provincial economy as it recovers from the pandemic, noting that Waterloo Region and the Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Corridor is key to Ontario's economic growth.
The Kitchener mayor said local hospitals are due for expansion and "will be critical to provide quality health care in the future for our growing and aging population."
But, Vrbanovic is not endorsing the province's pre-election spending plan.
"I'm not going to take a budget so close to the election and give it either a thumbs up or a thumbs down. What I will say is, I think it certainly is helping to rebuild Ontario's economy," he said.
The Kitchener mayor also pointed out some money set aside in the budget for housing and mental health.
"As we know, that's an area that we're seeing increased pressures on locally and we'll certainly be working hard to make sure that this area gets the dollars they need to make sure that residents are looked after," he said.
Regional Chair Karen Redman said affordable housing, talent, and infrastructure will be essential as our region grows.
“We believe that continued attention is required to address the housing and healthcare challenges faced across our community,” she said.
