B.C. commits $90 million to Children’s Hospital expansion

VANCOUVER — The first visible signs of the long-awaited redevelopment of BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals will soon appear after the provincial government’s announcement today of $90 million in Phase 1 funding.

(The government had previously announced it would contribute up to $300 million to the project but the $90 million contribution is the first actual payment from the government).

Premier Gordon Campbell made the announcement at BC Children’s Hospital at an event late this afternoon.

Although the whole project was delayed somewhat by the economic recession and is not expected to be completed until 2017 or 2018, the first phase involves new hospital plans and architectural design and demolition of the former Shaughnessy Hospital building. It will also include construction of a new building for the health professionals, clinics and offices dislodged by the demolition. A daycare centre for hospital staff and others in the community will be built.

The first phase of construction will add more space for training medical school students attending the University of BC.

In the immediate term, three more neonatal intensive care beds will be added at BC Women’s Hospital.

In phase two and three of the estimated $682-million project, a new hospital will be built for children and renovations to BC Women’s Hospital will also take place.

A new building will include patient rooms that are large enough for parents who want to share them with their ill children, a new emergency department, state of the art operating rooms, a new diagnostic centre, intensive care unit and oncology department.

The existing 1982 building will not be torn down; it will be renovated for the expansion of B.C. Women’s Hospital and other purposes.

The BC Children’s Hospital Foundation has pledged to raise $200 million for the project and has so far raised about $115 million since the campaign was launched in April, 2008.

Six months ago, Vancouver Canucks hockey stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who each have two children, were the biggest celebrities to donate to the campaign with their $750,000 a piece gifts. Singer Michael Bublé has also donated profits from his concerts and he serves as an ambassador for the campaign.

The fundraising campaign, which stalled during the global recession, is expected to get another lift later in the next month or two when a chief executive officer of the foundation is named to succeed the retired Sue Carruthers.

Teck Resources CEO Don Lindsay, who serves as chair of the fundraising campaign, said in an interview that the first cheque from the provincial government is a watershed moment.

"People want to see the colour of the government’s money and now that we have concrete evidence of their support, we expect more support from people across the province," said Lindsay, whose mining company gift of $25 million back in 2008 was not only the biggest single donation to the campaign so far, but is also believed to be the biggest donation ever made to a hospital in B.C.

Sun Health Issues Reporter

pfayerman@vancouversun.com