He's only been the Huntsville Hospital Foundation chair for two weeks, but already Les Dakens and his wife Marijane are planning to donate $2 million to the town's hospital, but it comes with a catch.

At a news conference on Monday, the couple said the money will only be donated if Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare decides to build a new hospital somewhere along the Highway 11 corridor in Huntsville and no further south than Port Sydney.

"We intend to stay here and retire and wanted to contribute a part of our good fortune to the community,” says Dakens. "We think that is the central location for the entire catchment area that will service in the hospital area."

In May, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare's board of directors decided to shut down the Bracebridge and Huntsville hospitals and replace them with a new hospital at a central location. It’s an option Dakens supports but he says any other location and the hospital will be written out of the couples will.

However, the hospital's CEO says no decisions have been made and the board of directors will not be persuaded by any amount of money.

"We have a process that we're following and as much as we're grateful for the generosity of this, we can't allow it to influence the process that we're taking," Natalie Bubela.

"This is not meant to be political. Numerous people have said centrally located is probably in the Port Sydney area, just look at the geography of Bracebridge and Huntsville," says Dakens.

The future of hospital care in Muskoka remains to be a contentious issue. Both towns are circulating a petition to keep both hospitals opened.

Huntsville's mayor says either way his town needs a hospital and supports the conditions the Dakens have attached to their legacy donation.

"I think it's actually a great thing. I think the community should be standing up and saying this is what we believe and this is what we think should happen."

Bracebridge has also offered land for the new hospital. That town's mayor wouldn't comment on Monday’s announcement.

MAHC is still waiting on the province to sign-off on its plans. Once that happens, the board of directors will chose a location for the new hospital. That decision is expected to be made within the next 18 months.