The City of Winkler is extending its support to expansion plans at the Boundary Trails Health Centre.

For over two years, the city has been working with the Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation and Southern Health-Sante Sud on plans to expand the hospital between Morden and Winkler.

The city's letter of support explains the expansion of health services is in response to the region's continued population growth, "and the capacity issues our community hospital is facing."

The letter continues, "We are hopeful that the Province of Manitoba will also choose to invest in expanding the services at Boundary Trails Health Centre."

"Our demand for beds and space is growing," Paulette Goosen, Executive Director for the West area of Southern Health, says.

Winkler Mayor Martin Harder says the plan is to create a service centre, moving office space out of the hospital to free up room for medical services, "to the scope where Boundary Trails was originally intended but had to be cut back."

The Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation's three-phase expansion is still in the planning stage.

"It all depends if the Province.. and whether they agree to go along with it."

For the city's part, "we support it," Harder says. "We've served on the committee for the last couple of years and have been in on the ground floor and we want to continue to advocate for our community and our region."

Goosen explains the Province will receive the official proposal in June. From there the project awaits government approval.