Calgary Cancer Centre handed over to Alberta Health Services as construction wraps up

The Alberta government has handed the keys for the newly built Calgary Cancer Centre to the agency that delivers health care in the province.

Infrastructure Minister Nathan Neudorf and Health Minister Jason Copping made the announcement at the $1.4-billion centre next to the Foothills Medical Centre in northwestern Calgary.

With construction complete, Alberta Health Services is now to spend the next year getting the facility ready for patients from across southern Alberta.

The centre is scheduled to open its doors in 2024.

4:00 Calgary’s new Cancer Centre aims to be the best in the world

Dr. John Cowell, who was appointed as the official administrator of Alberta Health Services after the governing board was fired last month, says it’s a personal achievement for everyone involved.

He says there are about 200,000 Albertans who currently have cancer, and one in two will get it in their lifetime.

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“This centre is just an amazing, world-class facility that’s going to look after patient care, diagnosis and all that amazing research,” he said. “It’s going to be a magnet for researchers everywhere to come and pay attention.”