Dwight Ball, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, marked the beginning of construction of the New West Coast Hospital on August 16, 2019.
Premier Ball was joined by Gerry Byrne, minister of fisheries and land resources and MHA for Corner Brook, and Cynthia Davis, chief executive officer of Western Health. They were also joined by members of Corner Brook Health Partnership – the team of businesses selected to design, build, finance, and maintain the new hospital.
Throughout the remainder of August, site perimeter fencing, more heavy equipment, and work trailers will be arriving on site. Excavation is scheduled to begin in early September followed by the pouring of concrete for the foundation of the building beginning in early October.
A job fair and employment website for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians looking to work on the construction of the hospital will also be hosted by Corner Brook Health Partnership in September.
The new seven-storey, 600,000 square foot facility with an estimated contract value of approximately $700 million, will have 164 beds and the same services currently provided at Western Memorial Regional Hospital, as well as an expanded cancer care program, including radiation services. The hospital is anticipated to be completed in 2023 and its design can be viewed online at youtu.be/FRv5AHMny9o.
In addition, work continues on the new long-term care home in Corner Brook which remains on schedule to open in 2020. Over the course of construction, an estimated 4,300 person years of employment and $498 million in economic activity will be created between both projects.
