The project to expand and renovate the psychiatric services centre and emergency department at the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital will be able to move forward

QUÉBEC CITY, July 9, 2026 /CNW/ - The Government of Quebec, in collaboration with the Government of Canada, announces that the project to expand and renovate the psychiatric services centre and the emergency department at the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital has reached a new milestone. Planning work can now proceed under new parameters to better meet the needs of patients and staff.

The approved work allows for the continued planning of the expansion project and the renovation of the current emergency department facilities to house a transitional psychiatric emergency unit. This portion of the nearly $28 million project is receiving $13.9 million in funding from the federal government, granted under the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) program.

This was announced today by Jean-François Simard, Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, on behalf of Sonia Bélanger, Minister of Health and Minister responsible for Seniors and Caregivers, and the federal Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works, and Procurement and Quebec Liaison, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, accompanied by Steeve Lavoie, Member of Parliament for Beauport–Limoilou.

This preparatory work is part of a project to extend the building by three storeys, including a garden-level floor, which will be built east of the current emergency department, in the heart of the Saint-François d'Assise Hospital, at a total cost of over $145 million. The preparatory work will enable the temporary psychiatric emergency department at the Saint-François d'Assise Hospital to take over from the psychiatric emergency department at the Enfant-Jésus Hospital, which must be vacated to allow for the continued construction and renovation of the new hospital complex.

The timeline for the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital project has been revised and now calls for the psychiatric services centre to be fully operational in February 2031. Psychiatric emergency operations will be transferred to the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital once the temporary emergency department opens, scheduled for spring 2028. This will allow construction to continue in the areas currently occupied by the transitional emergency department, leading to the second and final phase of the project, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2032.

Other Hospital Projects Supported by the Federal Government

Mr. Simard and Mr. Lightbound took the opportunity to announce that other hospital projects will receive federal government support through the BCSF. Specifically, the construction and renovation of the new hospital complex at the Hôpital Enfant-Jésus will receive $103.5 million; the renovation of Santé Québec's outpatient respiratory health and pulmonary oncology centre - Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec – Université Laval, will receive $3.5 million, and the expansion and renovation of the endoscopy and operating rooms and logistics services at the Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis will receive $47 million.

Quotes

"These hospital projects represent a major step forward for the greater Québec City region. By investing in essential facilities, we are helping to modernize the places where care is provided, improve access to quality services, and better support patients, their loved ones, and healthcare staff. Our government is proud to support these projects under the Canada–Quebec Agreement through the Build Communities Strong Fund. Through historic investments in healthcare infrastructure, we are helping to build a stronger, more modern network that is better suited to the needs of Quebecers, both today and for years to come."

The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister Responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

"Behind every investment in health care, there are patients waiting to receive care, families going through difficult times, and workers who are dedicated to serving their fellow citizens. Thanks to our government's support for these four essential projects under the Canada–Québec Agreement through the Building Communities Strong Fund, we are helping to provide high-quality healthcare infrastructure for residents of the greater Québec City and Chaudière-Appalaches regions."

The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works, and Procurement and Quebec Liaison

"For the residents of Beauport-Limoilou, the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital and the Enfant-Jésus Hospital are two essential institutions at the heart of our community. The Government of Canada's support for these projects will help modernize key infrastructure, improve access to care--particularly in mental health and emergency care--and provide better environments for patients. This is a concrete announcement for our community, for Limoilou, and for the entire Québec City region, and I am proud that our government is a partner in these significant investments in our community."

Steeve Lavoie, Member of Parliament for Beauport--Limoilou

"People who need mental health care must be able to count on services that are accessible, safe, and tailored to their needs. This project allows us to ensure that continuity of care right now, while preparing modern facilities that will meet the needs of the population today and for years to come. It is a responsible way to improve care without waiting for new hospital projects to be completed."

Sonia Bélanger, Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Seniors and Caregivers

"By investing in a structured manner, we are helping to build a more effective healthcare system that benefits the entire population. Across Quebec, we are taking action to modernize infrastructure that is essential to the quality of care. This project to restructure emergency mental health services is a concrete example of our commitment to planning and delivering sustainable facilities tailored to current and future needs."

Eric Girard, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

"This is excellent news for our region and for all patients in need of care. With this important step, we are continuing to modernize our healthcare infrastructure to provide environments better suited to patients and frontline teams."

Jean-François Simard, Member of the National Assembly for Montmorency and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region

"This project is a concrete example of collaboration among healthcare institutions in the region. By combining our expertise, we are tangibly improving access to care and services for patients requiring mental health care, while strengthening the continuity of care pathways throughout the region. "

Martin Beaumont, President and CEO of Santé Québec – CHU de Québec-Université Laval, and Patrick Duchesne, President and CEO of Santé Québec Capitale-Nationale – Universitaire

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• Backgrounder : The project to expand and renovate the psychiatric services centre and emergency department at the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital will be able to move forward

Quick Facts

• Ultimately, the psychiatric services centre will include a psychiatric emergency department, a brief intervention unit, outpatient services--including the Short-Term Community Support Team--and additional stretchers for the existing general emergency department. This is truly an innovative project that will meet the current and future needs of patients and staff while remaining in the same neighbourhood (Limoilou).
• Renovation work is planned at the connection points with the existing facility, as well as renovations to the current emergency department to facilitate the care of additional physical health patients.
• The establishment of the psychiatric emergency department at the Saint-François-d'Assise Hospital will also create new needs for the general emergency department. This will require close coordination between the general emergency department, under the responsibility of the Santé Québec – Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec – Université Laval teams, and the mental health services, under the responsibility of Santé Québec Capitale-Nationale – Universitaire teams.
• Federal funding stems from the Health-Related Infrastructure Agreement under the Building Communities Strong Fund, which was announced by the Premier of Quebec and the Prime Minister of Canada on June 2, 2026. Thanks to this agreement, over $1 billion will be invested this year in healthcare projects across Quebec.
• Project management has been entrusted to the Société québécoise des infrastructures.

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Arianna Durgerian, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Catherine Barbeau, Director of Communications and Media Relations, Office of the Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Seniors and Caregivers, 514-554-4170