North American Shriners who have gathered for a convention in Baltimore have voted to expand their children's hospital in Montreal, rather than move the facility to London, Ontario.

More than 1,000 delegates voted at the Baltimore Convention Center Tuesday, on a resolution to either rebuild the the aging hospital in Quebec, or build a new one in London.

When the ballots were counted, Montreal came out ahead with more than the necessary one-third of votes, giving that city a green-light for the $100-million project.

Reporting from Baltimore, CTV's Rob Lurie says Montreal delegates were elated with the outcome.

"We have just wrapped up the voting," Lurie told CTV Newsnet Tuesday afternoon. "And as soon as it happened, Montreal delegates ran out screaming in euphoria... there were a lot of tears and a lot of emotion here."

The Shriners' only Canadian pediatric/orthopedic hospital has been operating in Montreal since 1925.

In a campaign that stretched on for five years, intense lobbying for the new facility pitted the two cities and provinces against each other in an escalating, emotional public relations battle.

A video produced and paid for by city and health officials in London claimed its rival city's site cannot be entirely decontaminated.

Describing it as "sleazy," Quebec Premier Jean Charest said in Baltimore Sunday: "The video is a lie that questions the integrity of the government of Quebec."

For his part, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said the video had nothing to do with his government, but nevertheless backed the western Ontario city.

"The London bid stands out as the one that has the most secure future for the provision of these services," McGuinty told reporters during his trip to Baltimore Sunday.

Backers of the Montreal bid subsequently struck back -- with the release of their own video.

"Montreal is a passionate city full of compassionate, generous people. It is the environment you want for our children and for their children, too. Please don't close the Shriners hospital in Montreal," pop star Celine Dion said in the video.

Now that the vote is in, Lurie says there remains one outstanding question: whether to build the new facility on the site of the existing Montreal facility, or move it to a new 'superhospital' site on the McGill University campus.

Quoting Shriners Imperial Treasurer Gene Bracewell, who was a member of the executive committee that twice recommended relocation to London, Lurie said, "The hospital will stay where it is."

"But a lot of people from the Montreal delegation say that is basically sour grapes," he added, noting the ongoing push to build on the McGill health centre site.