Project status update

Where we’re at

We’ve reached an exciting milestone for the project! Minister of Health Adrian Dix joined us in Dawson Creek on Monday, June 26 to announce the selection of a preferred proponent and the execution of the Design Build Agreement for the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital.

Graham Design Builders LP has been selected and will be responsible for completing the design and building the new hospital.

What’s next

This month, you will begin to see activity on the site with work underway for site mobilization and preparation. This includes preparing a construction office and storage area as well as a temporary parking lot on Northern Lights College’s property, south of the new hospital site.

Over the next month, excavation for the hospital basement will begin. This will require removal of approximately 56,000 m³ of material from the site!

In August, workers will begin forming and pouring the concrete footings and foundation walls. In September, two large tower cranes will be installed to continue building the concrete superstructure. Throughout the winter, work on the concrete structure will continue.

Other exciting news

Ground blessing ceremony

On Monday, June 19, a ground blessing ceremony was held on the site of the new hospital to pay respects to the territory on which the new hospital will be located.

We were honoured to have Elder Della Owens from Saulteau First Nations lead the ceremony and blessing. Witnesses to the ceremony were seated in a circle and joined her with their heads lowered and hands open as she shared a prayer in Cree. This was an important step for the project while the land was undisturbed and before construction begins.

Dawson Creek Art Gallery’s annual art auction

On Friday, June 23, the Dawson Creek Art Gallery hosted their 40th annual art auction. This year's theme was "Come Fly With Me" as the auction took place inside the aircraft hanger on Northern Lights College's campus. The event featured over 30 pieces of artwork from local and regional artists open for bidding as well as a silent auction and live entertainment.

Ashley Pannozzo, Community Engagement Liaison and Jennifer Dunn, Clinical Lead set up an exhibit with artistic renderings of some of the spaces within the new facility. Attendees asked questions, took a copy of the project’s fact sheet and learned about upcoming milestones for the project.

Working groups update

The Community and Indigenous Advisory Working Groups (CAWG and IAWG) are continuing to provide input into design aspects of the project to ensure the facility reflects the communities it serves and is culturally safe, welcoming, respectful and relevant.

The groups met for the second time in June and topics of discussion included the landscaping plan and plant list as well as the non-denominational spiritual room and family gathering spaces throughout the facility. The next meeting is scheduled for September.

Interested in learning more?

Visit Let’s Talk DCDH

The Dawson Creek & District Hospital Replacement Project’s Let’s Talk site is our one-stop shop for everything related to the project. By registering for the Let’s Talk DCDH site you can:

• Add comments on posts
• Share your thoughts and ideas
• Provide your input on the project
• Ask questions through the Q&A tool
• Participate in community idea boards

Construction camera (coming soon!)

A construction camera is going to be installed for you to see what’s going on at the site and watch the building come together. This is a great way to get an insider’s look at how the project is progressing.

In the meantime, take a peek at the construction cameras for other capital projects in progress in Northern BC, including Stuart Lake Hospital in Fort St. James and Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace.

Contact us directly

Reach out directly to Ashley Pannozzo, our Community Engagement Liaison Officer, for the Dawson Creek and District Hospital Replacement Project at LetsTalkDCDH@northernhealth.ca.