Many residents have been wondering what will happen to the current Dawson Creek & District Hospital (DCDH) once the new hospital opens.

Health care services will continue to be delivered at the current hospital while construction is underway on the new hospital – which is expected to be open, operational and ready for patients in 2027.

Now, why are we building a new hospital instead of redeveloping the current one?

The current DCDH was built in 1960 in accordance with clinical health care services and building code standards at the time. Since then, standards have continuously evolved and improved.

Recognizing these changes, the current hospital doesn’t align with current clinical and patient care standards and doesn’t comply with the current BC Building Code. These factors have an impact on patient and family experiences and the delivery of quality and efficient care.

There’s also more than what meets the eye when it comes to older buildings like the current DCDH. The infrastructure may appear to be in good standing, but it’s what you can’t see that contributes significantly to the need to replace the facility. The current facility has a poor Facility Condition Index, and its age causes deficiencies such as capacity constraints and functional issues.

The new hospital is going to be a brand-new state-of-the-art facility that is built in compliance with national clinical and patient care standards as well as current design and construction codes.

Northern Health will continue to upgrade equipment and assets in the current hospital to ensure that we’re providing quality health care. A significant amount of the newer equipment and assets that are in good working order will be moved into the new facility during the transition process.

We also acknowledge the tremendous community support over the past years through the Dawson Creek Hospital Foundation to support the purchasing of equipment required to provide health care services within the community.

Once the new hospital is open and operational, the current hospital will become inactive, be emptied out and then removed. The site will be cleared and turned back into developable land for future use.

We recognize that the DCDH has played a significant role in the lives of many residents over the past 60+ years. There are ample memories and stories to be shared about the current hospital and there will opportunities for you to share those with us in the future. Stay tuned for more information!

On Saturday, November 4, Northern Lights College hosted an Open House at their Dawson Creek campus for community members to tour the campus and learn about programs.

Ashley Pannozzo, our Community Engagement Liaison was invited to represent Northern Health and set up a display in the Health Sciences Building. Attendees learned about the DCDH Project, employment opportunities with the current and future hospital, health care career opportunities with Northern Health, pathways into healthcare, and the Grow Our Own program.

The display included the project's fact sheet, employment flyer, draft renderings, sample materials and finishes palettes, and mini shovels!

Did you know? NLC offers a variety of health and human services programs that could help kickstart your journey in health care.

Interested in starting your journey with Northern Health at the newest hospital in the Northeast? There are a number of employment opportunities that need to be filled at the current and future Dawson Creek & District Hospital. Northern Health is also hiring for other positions in the community and across the region. To see all current job postings and apply online, visit http://jobs.northernhealth.ca/.

Download a copy of the DCDH Employment Flyer to share with friends, family or colleagues.

There are a number of positions that need to be filled at the current and future Dawson Creek & District Hospital including:

• Care Aide
• Cook
• Diagnostics Imaging Technologist
• Dietitian
• Facility and Maintenance Worker
• Food Services Worker
• Health Information Professional
• Housekeeper
• Imaging Technician
• Indigenous Patient Health Assistant
• Laboratory Clerk
• Licensed Practical Nurse
• Medical Laboratory Clerk & Technologist
• Mental Health Clinician & Staff
• Nursing Unit Clerk
• Occupational & Physio Therapist
• Patient Reception Staff
• Pharmacist & Pharmacy Staff
• Physician
• Registered Nurse
• Registration Clerk
• Respiratory Therapist
• Social Worker
• Stores Attendant

Key contacts for opportunities at the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital:

Northern Health Staff Recruitment

nhjobs@northernhealth.ca

Note: Please do not use this email to submit your resume. Instead, apply online via one of the links below.

Physician Recruitment

Daphne Savoy

Northeast Physician Recruiter

Daphne.Savoy@northernhealth.ca

If you’ve driven or walked by the site of the new hospital recently, you might have seen a sea of vibrant orange tarps across the site. Graham is planning and preparing for the winter months and starting to implement their frost protection plan.

It’s fundamental that heat and moisture control is addressed throughout the construction process during the winter months. This includes controlling the temperature and protecting the concrete foundations to avoid a negative impact on the quality of the installation and possible re-work, if not done correctly.

One of the biggest risks during the winter is the frost impact to the deep foundations. Planning and executing the plan has already started and will be an ongoing effort throughout winter. This includes:

• Installing and managing over 800 – 12x24 insulated tarps
• Procuring and installing five 1.8m BTU glycol ground thaw machines that provide heat to over 80,000 lineal feet of glycol lines
  • The glycol lines are spread throughout the foundation subgrade to maintain temperature levels
• Installing a 30-pound natural gas line to the site with a 5-pound distribution centre to 12 locations across the site footprint
  • This ensures there is a fuel supply to any location that heat is required for frost protection
  • It also supports concrete pours throughout the winter
• Elevating stored materials to ensure they don’t freeze into the ground
  • Materials are marked so they know what it is and where it is, in the case of heavy snowfall

Safety of the people working on or visiting the construction site remains a priority. Winter weather creates different challenges and risks that have to be eliminated and controlled, and colder temperatures and snowfall changes how work is done on site.

Special equipment, tools, and materials are procured in preparation for the winter weather including snow shovels, ice melt, sand or rock chips, and skid steer attachments. Snow clearing is completed before shift start to limit interaction with the public and construction personnel. Workers are constantly clearing snow, removing ice, working on safe access over tarps, moving heaters and glycol lines, setting up hoardings and running extension cords.

The amount of planning hours and labor-intensive work that goes into preparing the site for winter helps ensure that workers and visitors can safely gain access to the construction site and work safely at all times.

A new hospital for the community means more than just investing in health-care, it also means economic opportunities for the region. Construction on the new hospital just started, but local businesses and workers are already involved in and benefiting from the project.

Wherever possible, Graham Design Builders LP is prioritizing working with and hiring local and regional businesses. Local hospitality businesses are also benefitting from workers being in town and renting hotel rooms or houses for weeks or months at a time.

Check out this document (Local and regional businesses) to view the list of just some of the local and regional businesses that are already involved in the project - which we will continue to update as the project progresses.

Graham, through their subcontractors, have also already hired a number of local labourers and apprentices to work on site – with more opportunities to come. They will advertise employment opportunities on various platforms such as Indeed, Kijiji, and LinkedIn as well as on the Graham Careers page.

A project of this size requires a large workforce and Graham is committed to filling as many positions as possible with people from the local community and region. During the peak of construction, there will be approximately 350-375 workers on-site. As the project progresses, the number of out-of-town workers is expected to increase as more specialized skills, not always available locally, are needed.

Graham plans to work closely with Northern Lights College’s Trades and Apprenticeships department to provide eligible students with apprenticeship training. Northern Health has also been reaching out to local and regional Indigenous communities to share these opportunities with the economic development and employment and training departments.

Check out our other post - Interested in business and employment opportunities? to view the list of current and upcoming awards and business opportunities.

Businesses interested in getting involved with the project are encouraged to send information about their services and product offerings to Graham Design Builders via email to dawsoncreekhospital@graham.ca.

Local workers and apprentices who are interested in working on the project are also encouraged to send their resume to Graham Design Builders via email to dawsoncreekhospital@graham.ca.

Project status update

Where we’ve come from

Since our last update, the project has reached a number of significant milestones following the execution of the Design Build Agreement with Graham Design Builders LP (Graham).

Over the summer, a lot of work was completed on site including tree clearing, installing perimeter fencing, stripping the top soil, setting up site office trailers, and bulk excavation – which involved approximately 56,000m³ of material being removed from the site.

In addition, work on a new sidewalk and temporary parking lot has been completed to accommodate workers that will be on site throughout the project.

Where we’re at

The Dawson Creek skyline has a new look with the first of two tower cranes being installed on site. Once the second crane is installed, they will remain on site for the next 16 months.

Fun fact: Crane #1 is 165 feet tall with a jib length of 75 metres and crane #2 will be 135 feet tall with a jib length of 60 metres.

Workers have started pouring concrete for the footings and foundation walls for the basement.

The fifth round of User Consultation Meetings were held for clinical users to provide input on clinical design, room layouts, work surfaces, millwork, equipment quantities and locations, and much more.

What’s next

Throughout the winter, work will continue on the concrete super structure. In February, work will begin on the level 1 suspended slab. In early 2024, we will receive the formal 95% design submission.

Other exciting news

Groundbreaking celebrations

In late-July, a small group gathered on site to dig the ceremonial hole and celebrate the start of construction.

The Project Management Office also hosted a staff celebration and staff were invited down to meet the project team, view draft renderings of the new hospital, and enjoy cupcakes and snacks.

Presentations for the Chambers of Commerce

The Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Fort St. John Chambers of Commerce hosted a series of luncheons for their members with the topic of discussion being the DCDH Replacement Project.

Ashley Pannozzo, DCDH Community Engagement Liaison and Dave Corcoran, VP of Health Care for Graham presented a project status update and shared information about upcoming business and employment opportunities.

Employment and business opportunities with the project

A new hospital for the community means more than just investing in health-care, it also means economic opportunities for the region. Construction only began a couple of months ago, but locals are already involved and benefiting from the project.

Graham is responsible for all hiring and contracting related to the construction of the new hospital. Wherever possible, they are prioritizing working with and hiring local and regional businesses. They are also committed to filling as many positions as possible with people from the local community and region. During the peak of construction, there will be over 300 workers on-site.

Interested in employment, apprenticeship training, business opportunities and/or subcontracts? Submit a resume and/or send information about services and product offerings to Graham via email to dawsoncreekhospital@graham.ca.

Construction camera

The DCDH Construction Camera is now available! That means any day, any time, you can see what progress is being made on the construction of the new hospital.

You can see a live snapshot, zoom in and out and side to side, compare photos from different days, go back in time for archived snapshots, and view monthly timelapses.

Interested in learning more?

Contact us directly

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

Last week, the Chetwynd Chamber of Commerce hosted their first "Mind Your Business" luncheon of the year. Ashley Pannozzo, DCDH Community Engagement Liaison and Dave Corcoran, VP of Health Care for Graham Design Builders shared an update on the project and upcoming businesses and employment opportunities.

The Dawson Creek skyline has a new look! From most areas of the city you can spot the first tower crane that has been erected on the site of the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital.

Crane #1 is 50 metres tall with a jib length of 75 metres. Crane #2 will be erected within the next month and will be 41 feet tall and have a jib length of 60 metres. Both cranes will remain on site for the next 16 months.

Tower cranes are an important piece of equipment that are used on construction sites to lift and move heavy materials. They play a crucial role in ensuring efficiency and precision in the building process. The erection of a tower crane is a complex process which includes:

1. Preparing the base: The crane requires a stable and level concrete base to create a strong foundation.
2. Assembling the mast: The vertical mast sections are assembled on the base and connected to reach the desired height.
3. Attaching the turntable: This unit allows the crane to rotate horizontally and is attached to the top of the mast.
4. Adding the jib: The jib is the horizontal part that extends from the top of the mast and is used to lift and move heavy objects. It's attached to the slewing unit.
5. Installing the counterweights: These are added to the crane for balance to prevent it from tipping over when lifting heavy loads.
6. Attaching the hook and load line: The hook holds the load and the load line and is attached to the jib. The load line runs from the jib and down to the hoist.
7. Testing and safety checks: These are done to ensure that all components are functioning correctly and the crane operates safely.

Tower crane #1 installed

Infographic of parts of a tower crane from: How Do Construction Cranes Work? | BigRentz

Attaching the counterjib

Attaching the first sections of the mast

Another view of tower crane #1 on site

The DCDH Construction Camera is now available! That means any day, any time, you can see what progress is being made on the construction of the new hospital.

You can see live snapshots, zoom in and out and side to side, compare photos from different days, go back in time for archived snapshots, and view timelapses.

Photo from 09-05-2023 @ 3:34pm

Last week, mud slabs were poured for one of the crane bases and a few of the foundations on the southwest corner of the building footprint.