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Health and Community Services
Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
November 27, 2009

Tender to be Called to Begin Construction of
Regional Healthcare Facility in Labrador West

A new regional healthcare facility for Labrador West is one step closer to a reality as the Provincial Government will call the first tender tomorrow (Saturday, November 28) to begin construction of the new complex. The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services, visited Labrador City today and met with community leaders to give an update on the status of the project.

�The construction of a new regional healthcare facility for Labrador West is a major priority of our government, and I am pleased that we are able to call the first tender to start construction on the building itself,� said Minister Kennedy. �We expect to award this tender in early winter, which will give the contractor time to prepare for an early spring construction start.�

Site preparation for the new healthcare facility has been underway since September 2007. Site clearing, grading and construction of access roads were completed this fall. Water and sewer services are being extended from the Town of Labrador City under a cost-shared arrangement between the province and the town. This work is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in July 2010. The tender now being issued will initiate construction of the building with the installation of foundations and structural steel.

�It is important that we seize every opportunity to make significant progress on this state-of-the-art health care facility,� said the Honourable John Hickey, Minister of Labrador Affairs. �With the site preparation work now complete, the people of Labrador West can expect the start of extensive developments towards completion of this facility. Through the Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador, this government continues a wave of unprecedented investments in Labrador with this and other ongoing projects.�

The new two-story hospital will be located on Route 500, on the western edge of Labrador City, and will be adjacent to the new College of the North Atlantic Campus that is also currently under construction.

�I am extremely happy to see the tender will be issued tomorrow for this major phase of construction,�� said Jim Baker, MHA for Labrador West. �A great deal of work was completed on site preparation and bringing water and sewer service to this forty-acre site during the past construction season. I now look forward to seeing the building take shape starting next spring. This announcement is proof once again of the unwavering commitment of the Williams Government to the infrastructure needs of Labrador West.�

�It is welcomed news to see this initiative moving to the next phase,� said Boyd Rowe, CEO of Labrador-Grenfell Health. �This new facility will bring quality improvements in health and community services for the residents of Labrador West and, from Labrador-Grenfell Health�s view, will no doubt enhance the recruitment and retention of physicians and health care professionals in this part of our region. We look forward to working with the Department of Health and Community Services and other stakeholders to bring this project to fruition.�

The Department of Transportation and Works expects to award this current tender in January, 2010 with an anticipated construction start this coming spring. The tender for the remainder of the building is expected to be called during the fall of 2010 and the building is expected to be finished and occupied by late 2013 or early 2014.

This initiative is part of the Provincial Government�s Budget 2009 infrastructure strategy which allocated $76 million this fiscal year for investments in health care facilities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Media contacts:

Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-2646
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca 
John Tompkins
Director of Communications
Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
709-729-1674, 728-7762
jtompkins@gov.nl.ca 
 
Donna Ivey
Communications Manager
Government Members Office
709-729-0898, 697-1424
donnaivey@gov.nl.ca
Alison Dower
Regional Director of Communications
Labrador-Grenfell Health
709-454-0128
alison.dower@lghealth.ca 

2009 11 27                                                    1:30 p.m.
 


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