Indigenous health authority welcomes long-awaited federal government hospital funding for Moosonee, Ont.

The president and CEO of the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) says she was relieved when she learned Monday that the federal government would uphold its $1.24-billion commitment to build a new hospital in the northern Ontario community of Moosonee.

"[There was] a lot of anxiety and uncertainty lingering along the James and Hudson Bay coast and within our staff at WAHA since April 23," said WAHA president and CEO Lynne Innes.

The new 37-bed health centre will replace the 74-year-old Weeneebayko General Hospital, located on Moose Factory Island, near Moosonee. It is the oldest unrenovated medical facility in Canada and was originally built as a tuberculosis sanitorium.

Supporters of the new hospital expected the federal government to include its share of the funding in the last federal budget, and were surprised when it wasn't there.

"Everybody's been putting in long days, long hours to ensure that the federal government fulfilled their commitment…from 2007," Innes said.

More clarity was needed, says Hajdu

At a press conference in Ottawa on Monday Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu confirmed the $1.2 billion in federal funding for the hospital.

"This represents $1.2 billion of new investments. It's in addition to 200 million that has been invested since 2018 on various aspects of the design and planning of this project," Hajdu said.

When asked why the money wasn't included in the federal budget, Hajdu said there was a lack of clarity on timelines with the contractor, and the provincial government.

"There were many questions to the Ontario government about the nature of the money, about the nature of the payment contracts," she said.

"We really saw a change when we were able to engage directly with the contracting company. So that gave I think the federal government the clarity on the $1.2 billion ask and we were able to, I think satisfy for ourselves that the payment schedule and the sufficiency was there to get the project going." 

Innes says she was confused by Hajdu's response and the federal government's delay in funding its part of the project.

"I'm not sure what more that they needed to make the decision in April," she said.

"We certainly were not led to believe at any point in time that we were not going to be included or that there was clarity needed."

Ontario Ministry of Health spokesperson Hannah Jensen said in an email to CBC News that the "federal government put this project at risk by not coming to the table with their share of funding, after Ontario had already providing funding for early works projects, secured a development and construction partner and provided 100 per cent of the provincial share required by the WAHIFA (Weeneebayko Area Health Integration Framework Agreement)." 

Jensen added that there was never an issue with the nature of the payment contracts to the Ontario government, as Hajdu stated.

NDP MP Charlie Angus, who represents Timmins-James Bay, said in a statement that it "was wrong to force the community to wait for this funding."

"Time and time again, the Liberals have shown that they either have to be forced by the NDP or by a court order to act for Indigenous peoples," Angus said.

"If it wasn't for the significant sustained pressure from the community and the NDP, today's announcement wouldn't have happened."

On Monday, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced an additional $44-million in provincial funding to support the design and early construction work for the new hospital.

"This investment is an addition to the almost $1.3 billion the Ontario government has already committed to this important project," Jones said.

Innes says the provincial government has been a strong partner from the start.

"The provincial government has remained shoulder to shoulder with us from day one and I have the utmost respect for Minister Jones and her team in helping us get this over the finish line," she said.