Special to Ontario Construction News
Humber River Health is suing the public-private partnership consortium contracted by the province in 2011 to build and maintain Toronto’s Humber River Hospital, alleging that a “sizeable portion” of the hospital’s floors are uneven due to negligent design.
The lawsuit filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in April claims $100 million in compensation, alleging that floors are not level and deteriorating in some areas only a decade after the hospital was completed in 2015.
“Non-level floors make it difficult for staff to move equipment, supplies, food, and patients on wheeled transportation devices,” Humber River Health’s claim says. “Often, wheeled carts have to be placed behind rubber stoppers to prevent the carts from sliding out of position.”
It says the uneven flooring has caused health and safety issues for patients and staff while making “critical rooms” of the hospital unavailable.
“Floor levelness is a critical operational and safety issue,” says Humber River Health’s claim as reported by the CBC. A spokesperson for the hospital declined comment and the consortium, Plenary Health Care Partnerships, did not immediately respond to emailed questions.
Since 2023, four other lawsuits totalling at least $10.4 million have been filed by Plenary Health Care Partnerships against the contractor and various subcontractors hired to design and build the hospital.
The claims are looking for compensation for property damage from flooding caused by valve and breaker leaks and for design flaws with its domestic water system, which affected hot and cold water in patient rooms within the first year the hospital opened, according to the court filings. The leaks included one above the ceiling of the hospital’s cancer care unit.
The Ontario government contracted Plenary to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the facility for 30 years.
