A sad fate may be in store for the old Saskatchewan Hospital.
Demolition looms as the likely end fate for the old hospital, unless someone is willing to come forward and take over the existing building and rehabilitate it.
The province outlined some of the future plans for the site at an information session at the Tropical Inn on Wednesday. While the fate of the old hospital is far from finalized, what is known for sure is that the province will put out a request for proposals in the next six to eight months.
“Government has determined that it has not got a government purpose for the old hospital,” said Nancy Cherney, assistant deputy minister of the property management division of Central Services, to reporters Wednesday.
“So in our world, that means it’s surplus to government’s needs. And in that case what we will do is go to the market with a request for proposals to determine if there was someone else who might have an interest in acquiring some or all of that property, some or all of the buildings, for removal or redevelopment or repurposing.”
The RFP would remain open for some time. The expectation is that by spring or summer of 2019 the province will then be able to nail down their plan for the future of the old hospital facility and site.
If someone doesn’t come forward, “ultimately we need to look at our options going forward, which would likely include demolition at some point if we don’t have anyone else who’s interested in developing or using it. That’s the only option left to us.”
The information session on the future of the old Sask Hospital location included information booths from the ministry of Central Services and the heritage branch of Parks, Culture and Sport, as well as from the Battlefords Northwest Historical Society. Addressing and acknowledging the heritage of the old building is a major issue for all those involved.
The province says it intends to retain at least a portion of the 26 buildings on the existing site. The chapel, built by one of the former Saskatchewan Hospital residents, would be retained, but most other buildings would become available.
Cherney acknowledged that any kind of rehabilitation of the existing hospital facility would be challenging.
“There are lots of things there that would need complete redevelopment and refurbishment,” Cherney said.
Cherney acknowledged the heating and cooling system is “archaic” and “falling apart,” and the hospital contains materials that would not be acceptable for use today, such as asbestos.
“The condition of the facility is really deteriorating and it is time to be fully revamped, redeveloped, or moved on to some other purpose.”
Even maintaining the entire façade of the existing building would be a major undertaking, she said.
“We’ve had some preliminary discussions with the Battlefords Northwest Historical Society in maybe participating in something like that, and I think they have done some research and determined that saving the façade is not a cheap undertaking, either.”
The main expense would be ensuring the façade could remain standing and safe for people to visit, she said.
Representatives from the Battlefords Northwest Historical Society presented some of their proposals for the site at the meeting. Their plan is to preserve the building façade of the main entrance area at the existing location, using existing bricks from the original hospital.
A walking trail as well as interpretive panels would also be set up documenting the history of the old hospital. The chapel, as well as the cenotaph, would stay. The existing museum would be moved inside the new hospital once it is completed.
Discussions on these ideas are still ongoing between the Historical Society and provincial officials, but the Historical Society indicated the province has been receptive so far. A fundraising campaign would be needed for the façade project.
One noteworthy landmark from the Saskatchewan Hospital grounds appears likely to bite the dust. The province indicated that the smokestack on the hospital grounds, seen for miles by visitors coming into the Battlefords, will not be retained.
Despite some earlier speculation the large chimney would remain standing, Cherney confirms it is in poor condition. The issue stems from work done on the smokestack’s interior decades before, with the freeze-thaw cycle now causing damage to that structure.
“Now, it’s crumbling from the inside out,” said Cherney. She indicated the smokestack is unusable and will need to be removed for safety reasons.
The government is open to feedback on the future of the old hospital; comments can be submitted at [email protected].
