The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) announced on the weekend the approval of the replacement power plant project from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
The project will replace essential infrastructure at the Wallaceburg site with a total project cost estimated at $8 million. The province’s grant of up to $7.3 million in funding will go towards the construction of a new power plant to replace aging equipment with new boilers, generators and electrical distribution equipment.
The balance of the project cost will be funded through hospital funds allocated for investment in this project.
Liz Sandals, MPP for Guelph, made the announcement.
“I am pleased that this funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will provide for the construction of a new power plant with modern equipment, and facilitate the delivery of the healthcare services which the community needs at the Wallaceburg hospital site,” she said in a media release.
With a renewed focus on the Wallaceburg site, the new building and equipment will enable this site to meet the specific needs of the community for years to come.
The expansion is part of the province’s plan to update hospital infrastructure in Chatham-Kent and follows the Ministry’s 2017 approval for $1.5 million under the Hospital Energy Efficiency Program (HEEP) to replace old heating and cooling distribution equipment at the Wallaceburg site.
“Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s Wallaceburg site plays in important role in healthcare for many of the community members we serve,” Lori Marshall, President and CEO of the CKHA, said. “The funding to support the building of a new power plant is the first step in renewing the facilities at the Wallaceburg site and reaffirms our commitment to program and service delivery in the community.”
“CKHA is one team, two sites. Today’s announcement reiterates the new mission for the organization and the importance of the Wallaceburg site to serve rural Kent. We are pleased with the funding announcement and look forward to the future of this site and the patients we will serve,” said Greg Aarssen, Board Chair for CKHA.
With this project approval now received, the hospital will engage the architectural design team and aim to tender the project later in 2018. Construction completion should occur in 2019. Hospital officials anticipate minimal disruption to patient services.
