The city's finance and coporate services committee voted Tuesday to approve an Integrated Orléans Community Improvement Plan (IOCIP) application which paves the way for the construction of a new health care facility on Innes Road that will be the home of a new and expanded Orléans Urgent Care Clinic.

The site at 4405 Innes Rd. across from the McDonalds, is currently occupied by a residential home that is being used by the Fallingbrook Chiropractice Clinic. The home will be demolished and replaced by a two-storey, 12,000 sq. ft. office building.

According to the application presented to committee members, the main level will provide an expanded location for the Orléans Urgent Care Clinic that will offer extended hours, an increased number of examination rooms, and the addition of diagnostic service to treat a higher volume of patients and offer more comprehensive on-site care.

The main level will also provide an expanded location for the Innes IDEAL Pharmacy. The new location will allow the pharmacy to increase its inventory, add consultation rooms and hire additional pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, improving medication management, patient counseling, and overall service delivery. The second floor will accommodate a diverse mix of healthcare providers including family physicians and specialists (e.g., cardiologists, dermatologists, etc.)

Construction of the new building will cost an estimated $5,050,000. Under the IOCIP, the builder will receive tax relief totalling $338,253 over a 10 year period which represents half of what the property would otherwise pay in municipal taxes over the same period.

The IOCIP was adopted in 2024 to provide an incentive for commercial construction in Orléans through tax incentives.

Orléans South-Navan city councillor Catherine Kitts says the project will help improve access to primary health care for many Orléans residents.

"As Orléans continues to grow, access to healthcare remains one of the biggest challenges for families," says Kitts. "This new facility will directly improve access to primary care and allied health services, reduce pressure on existing clinics, and ensure more residents can access care in their own community."

The Orléans Urgent Care Clinic has been looking to move from it's present location on Place d'Orléans Drive for several years now as demand for the clinic's services has continued to grow.

Although the future relocation may becone inconvenient for residents living along the
St. Jpseph and Hwy 174 corridor, more space and more doctors should equate to lower wait times.

Speaking of more doctors for Orléans, the committee also approved the Primary Care Provider Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which is a city-wide plan to attract and retain more family doctors. The 10-point strategy proposes creating a Primary Care Recruitment Ambassador, joining regional partnerships, advocating for provincial policy changes that currently restrict international medical graduates from practicing in Ottawa for five years, and exploring opportunities to support new non-profit medical clinics.