Construction begins on Muskoka's new MRI facility in Huntsville
Construction has officially begun in Muskoka on a 3,700-square-foot facility that will house the area's first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine.
A groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday behind the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital emergency department marked the occasion with several dignitaries in attendance.
"I can't really overemphasize how important this MRI is going to be for our community here in Muskoka. This will have a positive impact on the medical care provided by all of our physicians," said Dr. Jason Blaichman, director and chief of diagnostic imaging.
"We estimate a local MRI service in the area will serve over 7,000 hours behind the wheel for patients and spare more than 700,000 kilometres of travel to hospitals outside of our region," said Cheryl Harrison, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) president and CEO.
- Download the CTV News app free to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The Huntsville site was designated as the district's stroke centre in 2006 and has been the only regional stroke program without a dedicated MRI onsite.
MAHC officials hope the new facility will be complete by spring 2025.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluoride in drinking water poses enough risk to merit new EPA action, judge says
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children.
Frequent drinking of fizzy beverages and fruit juice are linked to an increase risk of stroke: research
New data raises questions about the drinks people consume and the potential risks associated with them, according to researchers at Galway University in Ireland, in partnership with Hamilton’s McMaster University.
America votes: How the election could impact the Canada-U.S. border
While America's southern border remains a hot button issue on the campaign trail, the result of the U.S. election in November could also impact the northern frontier with Canada, which remains the longest undefended border in the world.
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard found not guilty of sexual assault
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
One year in, war casts a shadow over every aspect of life in Israel
As Israel's war with Hamas reaches its one-year mark, it can seem on the surface that much of life in the country has returned to normal. But with many still reeling from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, hostages remaining in captivity and a new front of war with Hezbollah in the north, many Israelis feel depressed, despondent and angry as the war stretches into its second year.
Missing B.C. climber died from fall on Mount Baker, medical examiner says
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.