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Demolition deal

Agreement reached on old Fort Smith hospital

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (May 20/02) - An agreement has been reached to demolish the old St. Anne's Hospital in Fort Smith.

Now all that's needed is the money to do it.

For about two decades, the large building has been sitting empty and boarded up, while looming over the community as a fire hazard and potential environmental disaster. That's because it is contaminated with asbestos and a fire could spread the hazardous material over downtown Fort Smith.

The agreement to demolish the old hospital was reached earlier this year between Uncle Gabe's Friendship Centre (UGFC), which owns the building and land, the territorial government and the Town of Fort Smith.

"We're all looking for the funding," says UGFC's executive director George Newman.

"I think we can do the job for under $750,000," he adds.

The high cost is largely because the asbestos will require specialized remediation work. The hazardous material will also have to be shipped to Edmonton.

Newman expects money will eventually come from the federal and territorial governments and possibly from other sources.

"We don't have any commitments yet, but we have generated a lot of interest," he says.

Newman says it is possible the building could be gone this year. "But definitely next year it will be removed."

Fort Smith Mayor Peter Martselos hopes the demolition will happen this summer. "Faster is better."

Martselos says the danger from the old hospital has been hanging over the town for many years.

Newman explains that, under the law, any organization which installs hazardous material is responsible for its removal, noting the Roman Catholic Diocese constructed the hospital.

"They are ultimately responsible for the clean-up," Newman says, but adds, "They don't have any money."

In such a situation, the responsibility falls to the three levels of government.

Uncle Gabe's purchased the building about a dozen years ago, but its plans to develop the building never materialized.

Newman explains that, under the agreement, the NWT Housing Corporation will purchase the land once the building has been removed.

Newman says the agreement was reached in February, but has not been previously discussed publicly. He explains a decision was made to manage the "media frenzy" and intense public interest in the negotiations, which he says was interfering with the process. For example, he notes he was constantly receiving calls from people promoting friends or relatives for work on the demolition.