Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Inuvik (July 16/01) - The staff at the Inuvik hospital weren't too excited about getting a new building until the first sod was turned.

But Ted McLeod, the Department of Public Works and Services project manager noticed they seemed to perk-up when the shovels finally went into the ground in late June.

"Up to the day that we started digging, they didn't believe there was going to be a new hospital," said McLeod.

"Now, there's a sense of movement," he added.

Inuvik Mayor Peter Clarkson says that while the region has waited too long for a new hospital, "it's better late than never. We knew it should have come sooner."

Clarkson says that he and others in the town are particularly impressed with the pace of construction.

"Ninety North (the construction firm contracted to build the hospital) is going full-bore ahead, and they've worked very well with the town," said Clarkson.

The new hospital will replace the one that's serviced the Delta since Inuvik was known as East 3, 40 years ago. McLeod has plans of the original which date back to 1957.

The facility -- which is being built right beside the existing one -- will combine both long-term care and acute care facilities under one roof, at a cost of almost $40 million. There will be 25 long-term care beds, and 17 acute care beds, along with an operating theatre, emergency room, and intensive care unit.

"This is going to be a modern, functional facility," said McLeod.

Construction is expected to be "substantially complete" at the end of December, 2002. The new hospital is scheduled to begin taking patients by July of 2003.