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HAY RIVER
People spoke out about what they perceived was a lack of communication regarding the new health centre at a meeting on Monday night.

Minister of Health and Social Services Tom Beaulieu, local MLAs, town representatives, the CEO of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority and more than 40 members of the public gathered in the community hall on Aug. 13 for a public meeting about Hay River's new health centre.

The centre, with a completion date projected for the summer of 2015, is a $42-million project that will replace the now obsolete H. H. Williams Memorial Hospital.

The exclusion of long-term care beds from the new facility was a primary source of concern. There are 10 long-term care beds in the current hospital.

"If a lot more people knew about this, it would hit closer to home," said resident Melissa Beck. "Our elders mean everything to this community."

MLAs Jane Groenewegen and Robert Bouchard acknowledged the rise of the aging population in Hay River.

The question of whether or not the beds could be drawn into the existing plan was met with a firm "no" by Beaulieu, but the admission came with a firm promise and explanation.

"I expected that people wanted a concrete answer and I couldn't provide that," said Beaulieu. "But I have committed to go to capital dollars to make sure the needs of Hay River are met."

The new model of health care wants to keep seniors in need of additional care in a more home-like setting and all the benefits that come along with that, said Sue Cullen, Hay River Health Authority CEO. As well, it is more costly to integrate long-term beds in an acute care setting, said Maurice Evans, regional superintendent of Public Works and Services.

With that comes the responsibility of finding funding dollars for a new facility, expanding a current facility, such as Woodland Manor, or using the current long-term wing until a solution is found, said Cullen. The health authority has a three-year window in which to find a solution before the new centre is fully constructed.

"I feel like I keep finding out stuff about the new hospital after it's already fait accompli and that made me a little bit angry," said resident Sam Bassett.

An employee of the hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, disagreed, saying that over the past few years hospital employees and members of the community have been consulted.

Many were also upset over the location, a site in the industrial area which was chose from 29 locations that were eventually narrowed down to three.

While Groenewegen said she was always opposed to the current location for a few reasons, one being the proximity to the train tracks. she said there is no reason not to look forward. Bouchard agreed.

"We can debate the location until the cows come home but I think it's more important to move forward with the project," he said.

The project is being built by Arctic Canada Construction Ltd. in partnership with Bird Construction.

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