Work about to start on new hospital in Newfoundland

CORNER BROOK, NL – Newfoundland and Labrador has signed off on a $750 million contract with the Corner Brook Health Partnership consortium to build an acute care hospital on the west coast of the island.

The project to build the seven-storey, 600,000 square foot facility in Corner Brook took a major step forward June 28 when Premier Dwight Ball announced the partnership – consisting of Plenary Group Ltd., PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Marco Services Ltd. and Johnson Controls Canada – to design, build, finance and maintain the structure.

St. John’s, NL-based Cahill Group and Plan Group, headquartered in Toronto, will serve as the mechanical-electrical contractors for the project. Johnson Controls will head up facilities management.

The building, which will replace the aging Western Memorial Regional Hospital, will incorporate a geothermal system. The technology will be more costly than standard electric heating, but Plenary Group said it offers greater sustainability benefits and long-term energy savings.

Opting for geothermal will also allow for optimization of the hospital’s energy performance, allowing it to potentially achieve LEED energy points, according to Plenary Group.

Over the course of construction, the province estimates 4,000 person years of employment will be created. Work on the hospital is expected to get under way later this summer and wrap up in 2023.