The Provincial Government is delivering on a major commitment to the people of Central Newfoundland by bringing MRI services to Grand Falls-Windsor for the first time.
The Honourable Tony Wakeham, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced that work is underway to bring a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner to the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.
The new MRI is part of a $7 million investment through Budget 2026 to expand MRI services in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Premier Wakeham made the announcement at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre, where he was joined by the Honourable Chris Tibbs, Minister of Social Supports and Well-Being and MHA for Grand Falls-Windsor–Buchans, and the Honourable Pleaman Forsey, Minister of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands and MHA for Exploits.
The new MRI represents the fulfillment of an important commitment made to the people of Central Newfoundland. During the 2025 election campaign, Premier Wakeham committed to bringing an MRI to Grand Falls-Windsor as part of the Provincial Government’s plan to deliver better health care and improve access to services in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
Once the new MRI scanners have been implemented in Grand Falls-Windsor and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the Provincial Government will move forward with two more new MRIs in other areas of the province.
For residents throughout Central Newfoundland, the new MRI will mean greater access to important diagnostic services closer to home, reducing the need for patients and families to travel elsewhere in the province for care.
The Provincial Government is also committed to strengthening recruitment and retention for MRI technologists through the development of financial supports for students and employees to complete specialized MRI training.
MRI technology provides detailed images of the body’s tissues and organs. Scans are performed by specially trained technologists and are commonly used to examine and diagnose:
- Soft tissue and joint injuries
- Heart conditions
- Abdominal and pelvic conditions
- Brain, neck and spinal cord injuries
- Tumours and other pathological conditions
Work on the infrastructure required to accommodate the new scanner has begun. The MRI is expected to be operational in 2028.
The investment is part of the Provincial Government’s $5.4 billion investment in better health care in 2026-27, which includes significant investments in health care professionals, facilities, equipment and services throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Together, these investments are delivering on the Provincial Government’s commitment to provide better health care for all of us, with more services available where people live.
Quotes
“We made a commitment to the people of Central Newfoundland that we would bring an MRI to Grand Falls-Windsor, and today we are delivering on that commitment. For too long, people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador have had to travel significant distances to access services that should be available closer to home. We are changing that. This MRI will strengthen health care in Central Newfoundland, improve access to important diagnostic services and make a real difference for patients and families throughout the region. This is what better health care for all of us looks like.”
Honourable Tony Wakeham
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
“This is a major investment in health care for Grand Falls-Windsor and for communities throughout Central Newfoundland. We advocated for this MRI because we heard directly from residents about the need for better access to diagnostic services closer to home. Our government listened, made the commitment and is now delivering. I am incredibly proud to see this important project moving forward for the people I represent and for the entire region.”
Honourable Chris Tibbs
Minister of Social Supports and Well-Being
MHA for Grand Falls-Windsor–Buchans
“People in Newfoundland and Labrador deserve timely access to the care they need, no matter where they live. By investing in new MRI scanners for Grand Falls-Windsor and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, we are taking action to reduce wait times, bring diagnostic services closer to home and improve equitable access across the province.”
Honourable Joedy Wall
Minister of Health and Community Services
“People throughout Central Newfoundland have been asking for better access to health care closer to home, and this MRI is a significant step forward. This is about more than a new piece of equipment. It is about making life easier for patients and families from communities throughout our region who should not have to travel farther than necessary to receive important diagnostic services. As MHA for Exploits, I am proud to be part of a government that made this commitment to Central Newfoundland and is following through.”
Honourable Pleaman Forsey
Minister of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands
MHA for Exploits
“The addition of MRI services in Grand Falls-Windsor represents a significant investment in health care for Central Newfoundland, improving access to advanced diagnostic imaging and reducing the need for many residents to travel outside their communities for care. This will strengthen the region’s health-care system by expanding local diagnostic capacity and supporting more integrated care for patients across the Central Zone, while improving equitable access to specialized services for residents throughout the region.”
Ron Johnson, Chief Executive Officer (Interim)
NL Health Services
-30-
Learn more
Budget 2026