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Construction on Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital Expansion project has officially started.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday to celebrate work beginning on the site’s new parking lot.
Paul Merriman, Saskatchewan’s minister of health, was on hand to mark the occasion.
“The people of Prince Albert have been waiting for this for a while now,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction.”
This project, which is expected to cost well over $300 million, will increase the number of beds at the hospital from 173 to 242.
The parking lot needed to be the first phase of construction as much of the future work will take place where the current parking lot is. This includes a new acute care tower, a replacement of the existing adult mental health space, and an increase in the size of the emergency department.
Shirley Woods, the director of health, and social development for Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) who’s been consulting with the province on the project, also explained there will be a lot of Indigenous influence including space for traditional practices.
“There definitely will be a space and we want to have more than just one space; we want it to be part of the entire hospital. So, whatever floor you’re on, there will be an Indigenous presence,” she said.
Once the project is all finished, Merriman believes the Victoria Hospital will truly be able to fulfil all the needs of northern Saskatchewan.
“I think P.A. is the hospital for the north, but I think it’s going to be better … so people don’t have to travel down to Saskatoon to get the services,” he said.
P.A. Mayor Greg Dionne couldn’t agree more. He said there have been marketing studies done at Walmart, Gateway Mall, and other places which found that the city serves around 190,000 people.
For him, he’s happy that any of these people can receive treatment close to home and that loved ones won’t have to travel hours to be with them.
Dionne said he’s thrilled with all the economic benefits the project is already having on the city, especially on the housing market.
“We have apartments under construction, all types of duplexes,” he said. “Our housing market is turning around because we’re going to have 500 new employees in this facility.”
Meanwhile, the next big phase in construction will be the acute care tower.
According to Merriman, there are still consultations happening while the entire scope of the project still hasn’t been finalized. The hope is to have construction start on the tower by this time next year.
