Province Approves Budget For Northern Cancer Centre

Friday, July 18, 2008 09:03 AM

Deputy Premier Shirley Bond announces funding committment for Cancer Care Centre

Prince George, B.C. – The Provincial Government has formally approved the near $100 million dollars needed for the new Northern Cancer Centre.

The money will go towards renovations to the Prince George Regional Hospital, radiation and diagnostic equipment and infrastructure expansion for cancer care services throughout the north.

The project will be pursued as a public-private partnership. The next stage will see an request for qualifications issued to invited the private sector to take part in the process. After that, a short list of teams will be invited to submit proposals to design build, finance and maintain the facility. The request for qualifications for the new cancer centre is expected to be issued by the end of the month.

Deputy Premier Shirley Bond says the construction is expected to start in late 2009 and the facility and the facility will be officially opened in 2012, which is 3 years earlier than was recommended.

Minister of Forests, Pat Bell, said it was local Surgeon Michelle Sutter who delivered the initial information that for the North, having people travel elsewhere for treatment wasn't an option any more. Bell wanted to offer thanks to Sutter for her efforts.

The cancer centre will provide:

4,200 square metre centre which will include radiation therapy treatment
1,000 square metre addistion and renovation to PGRH for a new 6 bed oncology unit as well as expansion of pathology, lab and diagnostic imaging service
enhancement of up to eleven Northern Health sites in communities outside Prince George
acquisition of new equipment and information technology
The cancer centre will bebuilt to be energy efficient and achieve LEED gold certification

The bill for the facility is $99.5 million dollars.

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 09:03 AM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: owl on July 18 2008 9:55 AM

I think they should wait till the economy of the region picks up .....

*pulling tongue out of cheek*

;-)

Posted by: Death to Socialism on July 18 2008 5:03 PM

Just heard some NDP dickwad on the radio trying to take credit for this.

Posted by: acrider54 on July 18 2008 8:10 PM

Election coming up! The cancer clinic was promised by Campbell when he was running 8 years ago. Another promise yet to be broken if elected. (I will not rip up union contracts! I will not sell BCR, I will not privitize BCH) Give me a break! The guy is a liar end of story.

Posted by: Nowicki on July 18 2008 10:42 PM

It is a good initiative for PG, but it is an election goody trying to buy our votes. I won't vote for Shirley Bond or any Liberal. Last time one of UNBC colleagues asked for an appointment with her. Her staff didn't even bother to book an appointment.

It is time to bring a new team who have time to meet with the people who are representing. She has taken for granted the people of PG and their vote.

Posted by: NMG on July 20 2008 4:57 PM

Given the frequency with which we have elections in Canada, is it not predictable that some good news stories will be announced within the relative proximity of when an election will be held?

How would some of you propose governments should proceed when they are in government? Don't do ANYTHING when they are in power so that they can't be accused of buying votes? LMAO.