The County of Grande Prairie is throwing its support behind the Town of Beaverlodge’s renewed push to replace the Beaverlodge Hospital. Members of county council recently agreed to spend upwards of $104,000 to help pay for the consultation fees surrounding the project’s start-up.
The proposed complex would operate 24 hours a day with 12 inpatient care beds. It would include an emergency department, a lab, and diagnostic and therapy departments.
Reeve Leanne Beaupre says the county has had a pair of representatives on a project-specific committee for just about a year but says she’s been wanting to get the proposed medical complex across the finish line for some time.
“I’ve been an advocate, both personally and in my capacity as reeve for as long as I’ve been reeve, to replace Beaverlodge Hospital, which is the oldest hospital in Alberta,” she adds.
Beaupre adds the creation of the medical complex would be the icing on the cake of a truly transformative time for health care in the region.
“This area is very busy, and I don’t think people quite understand exactly how much work is being done behind the scenes. The new hospital is moving along, the equipment has been ordered and it’s being installed… and just like everything else the pandemic has slowed down some of those things happening, but they’re starting to ramp up again.”
In January, the Town of Beaverlodge released a Request For Partnership to get the project across the starting line. At that time, Mayor Gary Rycroft said the next steps, once the process has begun and a partner was identified, will include what he calls a robust and inclusive public engagement process. He hopes to involve not only Beaverlodge residents, but health care employees and various groups throughout the region.