April Progress Pictures
Spring has officially sprung and progress on the new Stuart Lake Hospital is blossoming. Keep scrolling to check out this month's updated construction photos!
As the snow melts away, the wide sidewalks at the hospital emerge to soak up the sun. Inside the facility, the rays shine through the windows on the progress within. Pictured right, the Primary Care waiting area has come a long way since the March progress photos! Most notably, this space has brand new lighting and a finished ceiling.
Throughout the health centre, large windows showcase the picturesque landscape of Fort St. James. Depending where you are in the facility, you may be looking out at the lake and mountains, or you might have a tranquil view of the forest!
Staff areas are also coming together, as pictured on the right. Roomy workstations ensure doctors, nurses, and other health care staff will have more efficient workflows, which means better care for patients!
When a loved one is in the hospital or long term care, having a support system can make all the difference. The Gathering Space, pictured left, will be a comfortable area where families can come together to visit. During our engagement process, the community shared how important it would be to have a fire feature in the space. In the photo above, you can see the beginnings of a custom fireplace, which will be the centrepiece of the room.
On the right, the Graham team is hard at work bringing some colour into the new build.
The Gathering Space, Spiritual Space, and Long Term Care areas each overlook what will be beautiful patio gardens, facing the lake (top left). The Long Term Care wing has seen some major work in the past month including substantial progress on the nursing station (right) and the open concept dining area (bottom left).
The hospital will also have a private Palliative Care suite (top right). The suite features a large room to keep your loved one comfortable that opens onto a family area, complete with kitchenette. The Healing Garden, located steps outside Palliative Care, will feature carefully landscaped gardens featuring culturally important plants (bottom right). Since the new hospital will open in the winter, the garden will be completed in Spring/Summer 2025.
One of the biggest changes in the hospital since March? Doors!
Nearly all doors have been installed throughout the facility including sliding doors in Emergency (top left) and more private doors with customizable memory boxes in Long Term Care (top right). Residents in long term care will be able to decorate their memory boxes with photos and mementos that help identify which room is theirs.
Even though we've been showcasing our patient areas most, staff areas are also well underway. The boiler room photo (left) showcases a tiny corner of the massive space that will keep the entire facility running smoothly. Bottom right, the lab space in the new hospital is much larger than the current facility. Top right, the Graham crew works to install flooring in the future morgue.
We can't wait to welcome the community into the new Stuart Lake Hospital in 2025. Until then, check back for project updates and let us know what you're most excited for in the comments!
