Bowmanville Hospital Foundation Celebrates 50 Years of Community Impact
Bowmanville, ON – May 6, 2026 – The Bowmanville Hospital Foundation is marking a major milestone this year, celebrating 50 years of transforming community generosity into exceptional health care.
Founded in 1976 as the Memorial Hospital Foundation – Bowmanville, the organization has spent five decades inspiring donors, volunteers, and partners to fund essential equipment, facility upgrades, and hospital priorities that have strengthened care for generations of patients and families in Clarington.
To mark its anniversary, the Foundation is highlighting key moments that have shaped local health care over five decades, from early grassroots fundraising and a major hospital expansion in the 1980s, to landmark investments in diagnostic imaging, emergency, and critical care services that continue to benefit patients today. Explore the full 50-year interactive timeline at WeCareWeCan.ca.
Today, that legacy is driving the once-in-a-generation redevelopment of Bowmanville Hospital. Through the We Care, We Can campaign, the Foundation is helping advance a rebuild that will more than double the hospital’s size and capacity, modernize services, and transform care for decades to come.
With a Request for Proposals issued, enabling works underway, and strong municipal support, the project is now moving from planning into visible progress. The Foundation is calling on the community to come together once again to help build the hospital Clarington needs for the future.
How to Get Involved
The Bowmanville Hospital Foundation is inviting the community to take part in its next chapter through several upcoming opportunities:
- Attend the We Care, We Can Awareness Initiative Celebration on May 20, 2026, celebrating the impact of third-party fundraisers and recognizing the local champions supporting health care close to home.
- Join Steps for Care presented by Ontario Power Generation on September 27, 2026, a 5K community walk and celebration at the Darlington Waterfront Trail in Courtice. Participants can form teams, walk with friends, family and colleagues, and raise funds in support of the hospital redevelopment.
- Host your own fundraiser. Using the fundraising toolkit, individuals, businesses, teams, and community groups can easily organize events and initiatives in support of the We Care, We Can campaign.
As the Foundation celebrates 50 years of community impact, it is building momentum toward a healthier future for Clarington and Durham Region.
Learn more, explore the 50-year timeline, and get involved at WeCareWeCan.ca.
Quotes
“As we mark 50 years of turning community support into exceptional care at Lakeridge Health Bowmanville Hospital, I want to recognize the many community members, businesses, volunteers, partners, and donors who have built this legacy with us. This year is about reflection, but also about looking ahead – to a redeveloped hospital ready to meet the needs of a growing community, and the efforts required to get us there.” – Maria Petri, CEO, Bowmanville Hospital Foundation
“For 50 years, this community has stepped forward to protect and strengthen care close to home. That spirit has shaped who we are and what we’ve built together. Today, we stand at a defining moment. As our hospital undergoes a once-in-a-generation redevelopment, each of us has a role to play in shaping what care will look like for the next 50 years. This is how we honour those who came before us: by stepping forward for those who come next.” – Laura Sciore, Board Chair, Bowmanville Hospital Foundation
About the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation & Redevelopment Project
Bowmanville Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization that has been proudly serving the Clarington community for 50 years, raising funds to support equipment needs, facility enhancements, and other high-priority initiatives at Bowmanville Hospital. For more information, please visit WeCareWeCan.ca.
As one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario, Durham Region’s population is expected to double by 2041. To ensure our integrated, regional health system can continue to meet the rapidly growing demands of our community, the Bowmanville Hospital will undergo a once-in-a-generation rebuild, nearly doubling its current size. Once complete, the Bowmanville Hospital will usher in a new era of health care delivery in Durham Region with features including new ambulatory care clinics, a Haemodialysis Centre, Level 3 Critical Care capacity, and a rooftop helipad to support rapid access to emergency services.
Marking its 50th anniversary, the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation honours the community of giving that has shaped local care and is building on this legacy to support the health and well-being of Clarington for decades to come.
For more information contact:
Mathew Sylvestre, Director of Marketing & Community Engagement
Bowmanville Hospital Foundation
905-623-3331 x 21856
Myslvestre@lh.ca