Province plans to demolish heritage buildings at former psychiatric hospital

The Ontario provincial government is planning to demolish multiple heritage-designated buildings on the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital site. The demolition is to support a proposed development of more than 3,500 homes in Central Elgin, a largely rural municipality with a population of about 13,000. Infrastructure Ontario, a provincial Crown agency, has issued a request for tender to select a demolition contractor and begin site-clearing activities this year. The work is expected to take about two years. The buildings are considered beyond their useful life and pose a health and safety risk. Stone carvings will be removed and preserved as part of the demolition work. Central Elgin Mayor Andrew Sloan has called the redevelopment a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the growing municipality.