The big shovels came out as the construction of the Queen Charlotte Hospital began, providing the first step in a process that began some five years ago, a replacement for an aging facility on Haida Gwaii and a new state of the art facility in the Northern Health service delivery region.
The province dispatched Health Minister Terry Lake and a number of other Ministry and Northern Health officials to Queen Charlotte City to take in the first dig that starts the process of bringing the new facility to the Islands.
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Dr. Charles Jago , the board Chair of Northern Health spoke to the efforts that were put in place to make the long proposed new hospital a reality, while the Mayor of Queen Charlotte City Carol Kulesha, outlined the key elements of the planning for the hospital and the importance it will have on Haida Gwaii.
James Cowpar, a Councillor of the Skidegate Band Council heralded the construction project as a huge success to see capacity like this being developed, calling the project a key re-investment in the community and one that will bring in new life to the community.
While the new hospital won't provide for any extra services for Haida Gwaii, the new design will offer more room, better conditions and more privacy for patients and visitors to the hospital.
The project, the first new project in the city in many years, is expected to take about two years to complete, with a proposed opening of the fall of 2015.
Final approval of the project was announced on June 18th, with a press release outlining the stages of construction to come.
It will provide for 189 direct jobs and some 143 indirect jobs, with the contractor for the project hoping to find many of its employees on Haida Gwaii.
Some background on the now under construction hospital can be found from the Northern Health website here.
News updates on the project can be found below.
July 31 -- QCI Observer-- The ground is broken! QC hospital construction is underway
July 30-- CFNR-- Groundbreaking at new Haida Gwaii hospital
July 5-- QCI Observer-- Design of Queen Charlotte hospital released
Dec 21-- CFTK-- Hospital Construction Teams shortlisted
Dec 21, 2012-- QCI Observer-- Request for proposals released for new hospital
Nov 22, 2012-- QCI Observer-- Shortlist selected for new hospital on Haida Gwaii
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