Ontario Allocates $100 Million to Expand Medical and Nursing School Facilities Across 8 Universities

TORONTO, ON — The Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities announced a $100 million capital investment through the Postsecondary Health Infrastructure Fund, financing the construction and expansion of clinical simulation centers, anatomical laboratories, and teaching hospital clinics across eight Ontario universities.

Training 2,500 New Physicians and Specialized Nurses Annually

The funding packages provide direct capital to medical and nursing faculties at the University of Toronto, McMaster University, Queen’s University, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM University) to support a historic expansion of 1,200 new undergraduate medical seats and 1,300 specialized nursing seats. The high-tech simulation centers feature robotic patient mannequins and virtual reality surgical operating suites to prepare students for real-world trauma and ICU environments.

Premier Doug Ford and Colleges and Universities Minister Jill Dunlop stated that expanding medical school capacity ensures Ontario trains homegrown healthcare professionals to address physician shortages across every community.

Medical Associations and Nursing Unions Endorse

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) strongly praised the educational infrastructure investment as essential to relieving hospital staffing pressures.

Northern and rural municipal leaders celebrated the dedicated regional training seats at NOSM University.

Campus Construction Schedule

Campus facility expansions and simulation laboratory construction will break ground across all eight university campuses in October 2026.