"We have an opportunity here to create a vision for health and wellness for Brampton that represents the future of health care in Canada," said Ken White, William Osler Health System (WOHS) provincial supervisor, at an open house held in Brampton Wednesday evening. "The Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness will â?¦ help build healthier communities and support the health system priorities of the area."

WOHS hosted the first of two public information sessions on plans to redevelop Peel Memorial into a centre for integrated health and wellness.

The Lynch Street site closed with the launch of Brampton Civic Hospital in October 2007.

Since then, hospital officials have been busy devising a blue print for a new and improved operation.

Diagrams and other schematics set up around the conference room at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 90 Biscayne Cres, showed a state-of-the-art, modern campus that community leaders say will be the catalyst for a new way of delivering health care.

As proposed in the business case, the project will be developed in two stages, with phase one seeing all existing buildings demolished and replaced by ambulatory care, urgent care, day surgery and primary care facilities, diagnostic facilities and clinics.

The vision for a new integrated health and wellness centre, stage one, includes:

* An integrated emergency and urgent care systems staffed by emergency physicians and nurses and linked with emergency departments at both Brampton Civic and Etobicoke General.

* An ambulatory care centre that delivers an extensive list of day/outpatient surgery services, medical clinics and diagnostic services.

* Integrated women and children's program focusing on outpatient maternal/newborn and pediatric clinics, gynecology and obstetrical services.

* Mental health services such as regional geriatric services, mental health and addictions.

* Family health.

* Seniors' wellness, including inpatient rehab and complex continuing care beds, outpatient services and specialized geriatric clinics and programs.

"This site is going to offer something different, something this community will need going forward," said Neil Davis, WOHS community advisory council chair. "I think this is an exciting opportunity to shape where health care needs to be. Not where it's been, but where it needs to go. What we don't want to do is replicate what we've already done."

Demolition is scheduled for 2010 followed by construction of phase one in 2011.

The projected completion date for phase one is 2015 with phase two coming around by 2024.

Though Queen's Park hasn't approved anything yet, officials said current plans for Peel Memorial would make Brampton a leader in health care.

Now it's just a matter of securing the $413 million it will take to get the first phase of the project off the ground.

Local hospital officials are hoping the province will take on the lion's share of construction costs (90 per cent) with the remaining portion (10 per cent) coming from the public.

Following speeches and a presentation by hospital dignitaries, members of public had the opportunity to check out different information areas set up around the room detailing the various services proposed for the new site.

There was also a "feedback" table available whereby residents could ask questions and provide input.

Michael Cowan, a long-time Brampton resident, wondered what planners propose to do with some of the newer buildings located at the site, in particular the Kennedy wing.

According to the various diagrams set up around the room, planners intend to flatten the entire site and build anew.

"Two-thirds of that facility is less than 30 years old," Cowan told The Guardian. "Why are we going to demolish that? They talk about capital dollars not being available. Why can't we use that facility as it is?"

Cowan also questioned how WOHS plans to go about securing the money to staff such a facility.

"The other part of the funding question is staff," Cowan added. "They took the existing staff and took them to the new building. Where is the money for new staff going to come from?"

The first public session didn't draw much of a crowd Wednesday evening as approximately 100 people turned out for the event.

WOHS will hope to attract more attention at its second public information session on Nov. 24, 7 p.m., at the same location.