Manitoba Tories cancel $1B in health-care projects

WINNIPEG — The provincial government is scrapping more than $1 billion in health-care projects.

The projects include a new facility for CancerCare Manitoba and Pan Am Clinic.

Spending plans for both were either already approved by the previous NDP government or included in campaign announcements.

“This puts us in a very difficult position because there are many projects that are promised by the former government, I would say more than $1 billion worth of projects,” Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This puts us in a very difficult position because there are many projects that are promised by the former government, I would say more than $1 billion worth of projects," Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said.

The following projects have received formal notice from the Department of Health that they will not be going forward:

• Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home – estimated cost $32 million
• Thompson Northern Consultation Clinic – estimated cost $9 million
• St. Vital Primary Care Access Clinic – estimated cost $4.7 million
• The Pas Primary Care Clinic – estimated cost $5.3 million
• CancerCare Manitoba Facility – estimated cost $300 million
• St. Boniface Blood Bank – estimated cost $2.1 million

The Conservatives also said there were several projects that had not been presented to the treasury board for approval that will not be going forward:

• Pan Am Clinic new facility
• Concordia Wellness Centre
• International Centre for Dignity and Palliative Care