The ongoing Saskatchewan Hospital New Beginnings campaign took its fundraising efforts to Chamber of Commerce members Tuesday.
The event, hosted by the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce, took place over the noon hour at Blend Restaurant.
Prairie North Health Region CEO David Fan spoke to the business people at the luncheon in support of the ambitious capital campaign, which is seeking $8 million to go to furniture and equipment for the new hospital.
Fan provided an update on the fundraising effort as well as the construction progress of the new 284-bed hospital and integrated correctional facility, which is slated to be completed by June 2018.
It includes 188 beds to replace the current 156-bed hospital, as well as 96 beds for an integrated correctional facility.
Construction has been ongoing since Sept. 21 of last year and Fan reported there had been a good winter of construction. The construction is being financed as a P3 — public-private partnership — with total construction cost of $222 million. Adding in that cost maintaining the building over 30 years, the total comes to $407 million.
Fan acknowledged the controversy surrounding the P3 aspect of the financing, but ultimately expressed the view that he wanted to finally see the project move ahead after years of waiting.
"I don't care how they fund it, just build it. It's been too long."
Fan has also been making the rounds to local governments in the area to seek commitments for $4 million in municipal contributions toward the campaign. He recently was before North Battleford council seeking a special "SHNB levy" towards the fundraising campaign.
His presentation towards Chamber members was similar to the one he made before North Battleford council last month.
The difference this time was that his lobbying effort was towards businesspeople in the room to support the campaign's efforts.
Fan described the economic impact of health care on the Battlefords economy. Health care "contributes significantly to economic viability of the community, and surrounding communities," Fan said.
"It's about creating jobs, it's about creating economic viability and vibrancy for the community and surrounding area."
But Fan heard a familiar concern from the audience — that perhaps the local community shouldn't be on the hook for the $8 million for furniture and equipment to begin with.
"We're talking about a facility that services this entire province," Malcolm Anderson said to Fan from the audience. He explained he was having a difficult time understanding the rationale for providing the $8 million when it services an entire province, not just the municipality and RMs
"That is a very common comment," Fan said, but he explained even the Children's Hospital, also a provincial hospital, had a local share for furniture and equipment of almost $75 million.
In speaking to reporters later, Fan noted Saskatchewan Hospital was not being treated any differently than any other facilities were in the province.
"The provincial government is already funding 100 per cent of the construction itself," Fan said.
"The furnishing, equipment, historically in this province have never been funded by government as part of a major capital project. We're no different from Saskatoon or Regina. We're not being treated any differently."
Fan's efforts to lobby municipal governments are still ongoing. He had two more meetings scheduled with municipal governments, including one that same afternoon with the RM of North Battleford and again next Monday night before the town of Battleford.
