Director of rural health and planning for the Saskatoon Health Region, Kelvin Fisher said there is some pretty exciting news for the community and surrounding area regarding the future of the integrated centre. “We have finalized the design and we have received approval from the ministry of health to go to tender.”
That takes the project one step closer to getting a shovel into the ground. Fisher anticipates that advertising for tenders will be open later this week and will be offered throughout the country.
Those interested in building the facility will then submit bids and if everything goes well and bids come in on budget, tenders will close at the end of the month.
Fisher anticipates the selected bid will be taken to the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority in early September for approval.
Once approved, construction could start on the property by late September or early October.
Watrous mayor Ed Collins was pleased with the progress that has already been made. “I am certainly happy with what is going on . . . Earlier, timelines were set up and this project is falling into place.”
Collins said he is happy that people have been stepping up and showing support as the reality of having this building begins to set in.
Watrous and Manitou Beach along with nine other municipalities have pledged funds for the new establishment, which has helped to move it forward.
Manitou Beach mayor Eric Upshall said, “It is very important to our community” and beneficial for the entire region. Upshall said while there have been commitments, others are still undecided. “It has been a varied response . . . I would just encourage the municipalities (to participate).”
Fisher said, “We have met all of our original timelines. We’re right on schedule and it has gone very, very smoothly . . . We have to congratulate the community at large and the entire area for their commitment to providing the local funding share. Without that commitment we could not have proceeded to tender.”
While it all depends on the contractors who submit their tenders, construction could be completed as early as 12 months after shovels hit the dirt.
In comparison to the other locations that were approved for funding by the provincial government, “Out of the 13 that were announced, we are the first to go to tender.”
That might seem like quick progress, which in some sense it has been, but for many people residing in and around the area, this has been in the works for quite a while. “The original approval to begin planning this facility was received in 1999, so it has taken a long time,” Fisher admitted. “But, we have done a lot of work in the last year and the staff has done a tremendous job of being involved. The architects and engineers have done everything we have asked of them to meet deadlines and the ministry of health has been absolutely supportive. They have been at the table at every one of the construction meetings and I think (that) basically culminates in the fact that we were able to stay on budget. We have a good project, a good design and we’re delivering this for the community.”
Fisher said the region has been working closely with the project advisory committee made up of several members of the area and has been pleased that the community has been supportive of the project.
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