It was a major milestone long in coming, and it was Battlefords MLA Herb Cox who made the announcement in the legislature Monday afternoon.
To enthusiastic applause on the government side of the House, Cox announced preconstruction work had begun on the new Saskatchewan Hospital and integrated correctional facility in North Battleford.
“Heavy equipment has been arriving on site and will continue throughout the week,” said Cox.
“The new complex will be built to a leadership and energy environmental design silver certification standard, which is recognized as the international mark of excellence for green buildings.”
According to a government news release, the pre-construction activities will include bringing utilities to the site. Those include two power lines, a new gas line, two telecom lines, water lines, a sewer line and relocation of a telecom line.
It also includes the addition of a temporary construction road to provide access during construction when the existing access is blocked.
According to the province, the date to complete the pre-construction work is slated for July 1, 2015.
“The Ministry of Central Services is pleased to add this groundbreaking and environmentally sustainable new facility to our diverse portfolio of buildings that we own and manage,” said Central Services Minister Jennifer Campeau in a statement.
News that pre-construction work has begun is not a major surprise, as city officials indicated at North Battleford city hall in mid-March that the preliminary work would be commencing around April 20. It turns out that prediction was only off by a week.
The new facility will replace the existing century-old Saskatchewan Hospital when it is finally completed.
In his remarks in the legislature, Cox chided the NDP opposition for not getting the new facility built while they were in power.
“Unlike when the members opposite were in government and said they were going to fund this project with no real money committed, our government has committed $129 million in the 2015-16 budget to begin site preparation and construction,” said Cox.
He concluded his remarks by saying the new integrated facility “is a big step forward in addressing mental health in our province.”
