After more than a decade of construction, the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital will reportedly be open to the public on December 4th. Alberta Health Services says it is working closely with Alberta Infrastructure to complete the second phase of construction on the 243-bed facility.
That includes the 28-bed mental health unit and a 32-bed medical unit. When construction is complete, likely by the end of summer, operational planning and commissioning will begin soon after.
“This new facility brings new and expanded healthcare services to the region, including radiation therapy,” says Finance Minister and Grande Prairie—Wapiti MLA Travis Toews. “This means cancer patients requiring this treatment will be able to receive it closer to home.”
“The completion of the new hospital was a top priority for residents during the last election, and I am pleased to celebrate the opening of this long-awaited facility and the provision of services to Grande Prairie and area,” adds Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard.
Construction on the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital began back in 2011 and was temporarily paused in 2018 when there was a change in contractors. The first stage of construction on the facility was completed in 2020, at which point the keys were handed over to AHS on July 1st of last year to begin commissioning work.
The original contract set aside a budget of $319 million, which later increased to $763 million. The building now has an $850.3 million price tag.
It will have 240 patient beds and a state-of-the-art cancer centre with two new radiation treatment areas, and a healthcare training facility to work in partnership with Grande Prairie Regional College.
AHS says the QEII Hospital will continue to provide healthcare services but the exact scope of services expected has not yet been determined.
