The Mississippi River Health Alliance is asking the provincial government for $15 million in new funding to keep up with a booming population in Almonte and Carleton Place. The request came during the health alliance’s annual community forum on June 23, 2026, where officials celebrated a year of major milestones while warning that current funding cannot match the region’s rapid growth.
The $15 million ask includes $8.5 million in permanent base funding and $6.5 million in working capital restoration. Brad Harrington, president and CEO of the MRHA, said the past year showed what local teams can deliver even in tough conditions. The two hospitals handle more than 34,500 emergency visits each year, and that number is expected to keep climbing.
This stretch of Eastern Ontario is one of the fastest-growing areas in the province. Mississippi Mills grew 12 percent between 2016 and 2021, hitting 14,740 residents, while Lanark County projects Carleton Place’s population could nearly double to 21,000 by 2039. Municipal and provincial forecasts show no sign of that pace slowing, which means more people will rely on Almonte General Hospital and Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital.
The alliance highlighted two big achievements over the past year. Almonte General Hospital wrapped up its first full year with a CT scanner, letting thousands of patients get advanced imaging without travelling far from home. In Carleton Place, the Thomas Cavanagh Emergency Department opened in January 2025 and has already treated close to 20,000 people.
But the funding gap remains the main worry. Across Ontario, the hospital sector faces a structural deficit over $1 billion, with more than 70 percent of hospitals projecting shortfalls. The province’s 2026 budget put $1.1 billion in new money toward hospitals, a 4 percent increase, but that is less than half of what the Ontario Hospital Association says is needed to meet operating costs. Harrington and board chair Michel G. Vermette say permanent, predictable funding is the only way to keep serving a community that keeps growing.
