Paula White
Northern News Services

INUVIK (May 21/99) - The writing is on the wall.

At least the blueprints were, during a May 11 presentation by architects and engineers on the new Inuvik Health and Social Services Centre.

"This is a very significant project for this region," said Health and Social Services Chair Nellie Cournoyea before introducing the architects responsible for the hospital's preliminary design and plan.

"(The blueprints) are the end product of quite a few months of work," said Daniel Adam, representing Park Sanders Adam Vikse Architects Ltd., the prime consultants on the project. He said part of the challenge was to find a way to build the facility around the existing hospital. The new facility will be located on the same site. The solution was to construct the new building in two phases.

During the first phase, Adam explained, the site, located beside the hospital and near the emergency entrance, will be cleared, leaving enough space to build the majority of the new facility without having to knock down any of the existing one. He said the clinics, acute-care and emergency services would be constructed during the first phase so that they could be up and running before the second phase begins.

"We want to be sure that...all these vital services don't get interrupted," Adam said.

During the second phase, part of the existing facility will be demolished, giving crews sufficient space to build the remainder of the structure, including administrative offices and long-term care.

Jan Pierzchajlo, one of the hospital planning specialists with Rockliffe Pierzchajlo Architects & Planners Ltd., gave a brief presentation on the design of the inside of the structure. He said it was important to design the one-story, wooden building so that it would appear warm and friendly.

"We wanted to keep the design so that the public areas would be easy to find," he added.

The facility will feature 17 acute care beds and 25 continuing care beds. Both of these sections, Pierzchajlo explained, will be constructed on the south side of the building so that patients will have a view of the river. He also pointed out the cafeteria would be located directly across from the main entrance. Pierzchajlo added the hospital was designed so that, should the need arise, it could be expanded in the future.

The building will also include medical offices, specialty health clinics, surgery programs, mental health outpatient services and elderly day programs. Diagnostic and treatment services, social and community health services, an 18-bed transient centre and a cafeteria will also be available. It will have complete barrier-free access.

Cournoyea said the government will be requesting proposals from the private sector to complete the design in late summer or early fall, with the expectation that construction could begin as early as next spring. It is anticipated the entire project will be finished in 2002.