Moe to reveal details on new P.A. hospital worth over $200M

Premier Scott Moe will be heading to Prince Albert on Friday for a “big announcement” about a new hospital for the city.

Health Minister Jim Reiter confirmed the visit after question period on Wednesday, after the NDP asked about a tender seeking consulting services on an infrastructure project “that might exceed $200M in value.”

Reiter confirmed that the tender referred to a long-awaited hospital project in Prince Albert. He said more detail — possibly about size and siting — will come when he and Moe visit the city on Friday.

Moe committed during question period to providing “100 per cent of the funding of that facility.”

The existing Victoria Hospital serves a region far beyond the city of Prince Albert, extending well into northern Saskatchewan. Civic leaders, including Mayor Greg Dionne, have long complained about crowding there and called for the province to fund a new build. Dionne made it his number-one issue in the 2016 election.

Reiter agreed that capacity has simply not kept up with the population the hospital serves. He confirmed the project will cost over $200 million.

He said the province is currently exploring options for how to build the hospital. He was not able to confirm whether it will be constructed through a public-private partnership, an idea the NDP has sharply opposed.

“P3s are hotly debated,” said Reiter. “None of those decisions have been made.”

Meili said his party can commit to building a new hospital in Prince Albert through a conventional build using Saskatchewan companies, rather than through a P3.

“It’s about time that we actually get to a hospital being built,” he said. “New Democrats would build a new hospital in Prince Albert. We know that it’s needed.”

Reiter was not able to give a definite timeline for when the hospital will be built, again saying that more information will follow on Friday.