The sod was finally turned after more than 40 years of community efforts to replace the Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital.
The Mountview Health Complex will be constructed along Hwy. 43 on the southern outskirts of the town on land donated nearly 15 years ago by Doris McFarlane.
“Doris’ dream is becoming a reality today,” Judy McFarlane said at the groundbreaking ceremony on May 28.
In attendance were local and provincial politicians, stakeholders, project advocates and Premier Danielle Smith.
“One of the oldest hospitals in Alberta, it actually opened in 1956, will be replaced with a new state-of-the-art complex that includes 24/7 urgent care to bridge the gap between hospital care and home care,” said Smith.
“We know that was important to ensure the 24/7 aspect of the facility remained when we replaced the hospital.”
The project is the result of a P3 partnership between the Town of Beaverlodge and Landrex; Alberta Health Services will be the anchor tenant.
Last June, it was announced that Mountview would operate as an Advanced Ambulatory Care Centre, open 16 hours a day, providing pre-hospital care before transporting patients to Grande Prairie.
Local physicians and community members shared their displeasure and by November, the province announced that Mountview would provide 24-7 urgent care services.
“Doris didn't live to see the hospital, this medical facility started, but I know if she were here today, her heart would be singing, and she would have a very big smile on her face,” said Judy.
Beaverlodge Mayor Gary Rycroft recalls meetings about replacing the hospital back to 1986 and said that through the years, different people worked to ensure the hospital project didn’t die.
Rycroft recalls that the project had an estimated cost of $15 million back in the 1980s. Mountview costs are estimated at about $170 million.
He said money has long been a problem and that the P3 model helped move it forward.
Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange said that the P3 model is innovative because if there are cost savings to be found, the province will benefit, and any cost overruns are covered by the municipality.
Rycroft expects residents will begin seeing equipment working on the site as early as next week.
The province is committing about $170 million in a capital lease to operate the facility and $25.2 million for furnishings, equipment and It infrastructure.
LaGrange said she toured the current Beaverlodge hospital before the sod-turning ceremony and noted it was long overdue for an upgrade.
Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health (North) Ron Wiebe was asked about the future staffing of Mountview and how the province plans to ensure it can maintain adequate staffing levels.
He said the provincial model is evolving to train rural physicians and healthcare workers in rural communities to better retain them in those regions.
“Too often we see our young people head to the city for their training, and then they don't come back, and that has been a real, real issue for rural Alberta,” said Wiebe.
He noted that physicians would be trained at the Maskwa Medical Center next to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital. Maskwa stakeholders at that project’s groundbreaking just the week before the one in Beaverlodge were calling on the province to help with its funding.
“We're assessing what the needs are and how the province can help with that (Maskwa Medical Center),” said Wiebe.
“We are well aware that they likely need more funding, but we'll look at it and see if there's any place where we can lend a hand.”
Maskwa is estimated to cost about $35.5 million: About $20 million has been raised via community and municipality donations.
Mountview will feature 32 inpatient beds, laboratory services, diagnostic imaging, and emergency medical care and is expected to open in 2028.