Province looks to put Grande Prairie hospital back on track

The province is exercising all of its contractual rights to advance the $763-million Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, Premier Rachel Notley says.

“We have an obligation to represent the people of Grande Prairie and to make sure that project moves forward in a timely and efficient manner,” she said Monday at an Edmonton Heritage Festival news conference. “That’s not what we’ve seen up until now.”

Last week, Infrastructure Minister Sandra Jansen announced a notice of default, handing down an Aug. 22 deadline for Graham Construction and Engineering to submit a plan to get the hospital project on track. Otherwise, the contract could be terminated, she said.

Graham Construction fired back, arguing the company has had to deal with continual design changes, scope increases and delays outside its control since the contract was finalized in 2016.

“I’m not going to get into the details ... of what we’re looking for from them in what is becoming a more legalistic relationship,” Notley told reporters.

She also said the government needs to “tighten up the paperwork” after a recent investigation by Alberta’s ethics commissioner into a high-level NDP staffer.

John Heaney, Notley’s former chief of staff, was slammed by the Opposition for his role as a registered lobbyist in British Columbia.

He was cleared in a report released Friday, but ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler found government paperwork for Heaney’s contract was disorganized.

“We take responsibility for the fact that we need to tighten up the paperwork,” Notley said. “But of course we always knew Mr. Heaney’s relationship with us was completely above board.”