Inside the PropTech supporting Toronto Western Hospital’s new 15-storey surgical tower.
Delivering major infrastructure projects on time has never been more critical. Across Canada, hospitals, housing developments and public infrastructure projects are facing rising costs, labour constraints and increasing delivery pressure. That is where Crewscope, a DMZ Incubator startup, is stepping in with a smarter way to coordinate work on the ground. The AI-driven field operations platform is helping EllisDon keep the Toronto Western Hospital surgical tower expansion on track, demonstrating how better labour coordination can drive real progress on complex builds.
Supporting one of Toronto's largest hospital expansions.
The University Health Network’s expansion at Toronto Western Hospital is the largest capital project to date, valued at approximately $1 billion. The new 15-storey surgical tower will include 82 private patient rooms and 20 advanced operating facilities, significantly expanding capacity at one of Toronto’s busiest hospitals.
Like many major builds, the project faces tight timelines, limited laydown space and complex permitting. With timelines tight and complexity high, EllisDon turned to Crewscope for labour coordination, planning and on-site execution.
Improving productivity by focusing on people.
Canada’s construction productivity continues to lag behind other G7 countries, contributing to higher costs and longer timelines for essential infrastructure. While modular and prefabricated construction often dominate conversations around efficiency, labour still represents roughly half of total construction costs.
Crewscope addresses this gap by focusing on the human element of construction. The platform helps site leaders and crews align on weekly plans, coordinate critical-path work, and share progress updates in real time. The result is greater clarity, accountability, and collaboration across the jobsite.
“Construction productivity is about how people connect, plan and work together,” said Calvin Benchimol, CEO of Crewscope. “This project shows how better on-site coordination can deliver meaningful gains, even under complex conditions.”
From adoption to impact on the jobsite.
Crewscope reached full adoption on the Toronto Western Hospital site within eight weeks, integrating with UHN’s permitting process and EllisDon’s existing planning tools. According to site leadership, this helped reduce delays, clarify expectations and maintain steady progress across trades.
“Crewscope has been exceptional in keeping us on schedule on a time-sensitive project in a busy location, enabling better collaboration and superior team structure,” said Chris Masse, General Superintendent at EllisDon. “We were excited to get everyone on the site using the platform, and my only regret is that we didn’t work with Crewscope sooner.”
Why this matters for major infrastucture projects across Canada.
As Canada works to address hospital backlogs, housing shortages and aging infrastructure, improving productivity is an economic and social priority. When projects take longer and cost more, the impacts extend far beyond the jobsite and into communities across the country.
Crewscope’s role in the Toronto Western Hospital expansion highlights what’s possible when technology is designed for the realities of frontline work. By enabling better coordination and communication, tools like Crewscope help teams deliver critical infrastructure faster and with less risk.
Crewscope is one of the many startups scaling mission-critical solutions with support from DMZ. If you’re an ambitious founder building technology with real-world applications, apply to DMZ’s Incubator program at dmz.to/Spring26.
