Construction could begin next summer
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Rankin Inlet (May 02/01) - With most of the attention the last week focused on the official opening of the new Arviat Health Centre, planning for a similar facility in Rankin Inlet is moving ahead.
During the recent Nunavut Association of Municipalities annual general meeting in Rankin, Health Minister Ed Picco met with Sakku Investments to discuss the facility.
Picco said the meeting was a success, and the price of the project as well as the start-up construction date were discussed.
"With the Rankin facility, we are hoping to see actual construction start, by the latest, during the summer of 2002," says Picco. "We're actually hoping to get some of the site work done during this construction season."
Picco says some technical details need to be worked out, as well as some logistical and administrative problems, but assures the community there's nothing that can't be overcome.
He says when construction begins -- it is estimated it will take three years to complete the project -- his department wants to ensure it's done right.
"We want to make sure it's not redundant before it's even up and running."
Picco says every effort is being made to ensure population projections are accurate before the facility becomes operational.
If WMC's Meliadine West gold project becomes operational, that alone would bring an extra 300 workers into the area.
"We have to look at what type of facility we'd need in place here to handle that type of an influx, so we want to make sure the building can be easily expanded upon on the site that's been selected.
"All of these things have to be considered and they weren't in the original functional program and that, more than anything else, caused some delay for us.
"Most of that work has been completed and we're ready to move onto the next stage -- preliminary design with architectural drawings and so on, and also the beginning of some of the site work," he said.
