The Government of Alberta has issued a notice of default to Graham Construction and Engineering for what it says are delays in the construction of the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.
In a news release, Minister of Infrastructure Sandra Jansen said the people of Grande Prairie have waited long enough for a new modern hospital.
“This is a very serious step and not something we are doing lightly,” Jansen said in the release. “The bottom line is simply that the hospital is not progressing as it should.”
Calgary-based Graham Construction has 15 days to deliver a plan for finishing the hospital or see the contract terminated.
The hospital was originally procured by the previous Progressive Conservative government in 2011 with a budget of $763 million, but has been the subject on frequent and ongoing delays, according to Grande Prairie-Wapiti UCP MLA Wayne Drysdale.
“I’m not surprised,” said Drysdale, who as minister of infrastructure in the PC government also dealt with delays of the project. “I’m just glad the government is moving forward and getting it done.”
Drysdale said from the outside, the hospital looks completed, but a lot of work still needs to be done.
The hospital is now scheduled to begin accepting patients in 2020, at least one year later than the previous completion date of 2019.