In the not so distant future, you’ll soon see more Ornge air ambulances flying in the Simcoe County sky. Work is well underway on a new Ornge-OPP hangar at Lake Simcoe Regional airport in Oro-Medonte. The hangar will house aircrafts from both organizations in an attempt to improve emergency response capabilities. Deputy Ontario Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones was at the announcement Thursday morning. “Creating a partnership that will connect more families in rural and remote communities to urgent care when they need it most,” Jones says. Jones says the new hanger will house Ornge’s two new fixed-wing Special Mission Aircrafts, four OPP helicopters and four OPP fixed-wing aircrafts. “This new facility will streamline logistics to deploy critical care and law enforcement resources faster, speeding up response times to life threatening situations,” Jones says. “We rely on our fixed wing and helicopter assets to fly more than 4,000 hours annually in support of public safety across this province,” says Thomas Carrique, OPP Commissioner. Ornge says it transfers more than 20,000 patients each year by both air and land ambulance. “We are responsible to transfer patients from an ICU level of care to another ICU,” says Ornge CEO Wade Durham. “Thereby keeping nurses and doctors in the hospital to care for patients and these are the sickest of the sick patients so the time is of the essence and the care that is provided is second to none.” The 100,000 square-foot hangar will cost just over $56 million. Short-term benefits include about 200 new construction jobs while the new hangar is built. It is expected to be open in January 2028.
