On July 19, the Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon with their members under the theme "Constructing Care with Graham Design Builders".

Business leaders, community members, and local stakeholders gathered at the George Dawson Inn to hear from Dave Corcoran, Project Director, Graham Design Builders about the new Dawson Creek and District Hospital.

Dave presented a project overview and update, shared information about what's next, discussed the construction process and plans, and the positive impact it will have on the community.

The members also learned about upcoming subcontract and business opportunities with the project. You can read the full list of upcoming opportunities here.

It's official! Ground has been broken on the site of the new hospital. A small group gathered yesterday to dig the ceremonial hole and celebrate the start of construction, although they had a bit of help from the excavator.

Pictured from left to right: Bart DeVries (DCDH PMO), Kate Kustak (DCDH Foundation), Deb Taylor (DCDH PMO), Brette Madden (DCDH Foundation), John Kurjata (Northern Health Board of Directors), Maciej Paszkowski (Graham), Mayor Darcy Dober (City of Dawson Creek), Richard Bygrave (DCDH PMO), Director Leonard Hiebert (PRRHD), Nathan Salomon (DCDH PMO), Kendra Kiss (Northern Health), Dave Corcoran (Graham), Fern Hansen (DCDH Auxiliary), Margaret McGillis (Northern Health), Jennifer Dunn (DCDH PMO), Ramona Daly (DCDH PMO), and Ashley Pannozzo (DCDH PMO).

Over the last couple of days, perimeter fencing has been installed and the site office trailers and some pieces of equipment have arrived on-site.

Please note: Renderings are from the 60% design submission and are approximate and subject to change at any time. These are simulated views and information depicted is illustrative. The Design Builder makes no guarantee that what is depicted in the renderings will ultimately appear as shown in the final design and construction. Plant species illustrated may not be representative of the final species or maturity of the plants selected during the detailed design stage.Aerial view of front of building
Proximity to old facility View from 112 Ave View from southeast

View from southwest

Existing trees will be removed from the site of the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital in order to clear space for the start of construction. An analysis was done on the existing trees to determine if they would survive being transplanted to another location and it was determined that some of them were unhealthy and others likely wouldn't survive, so they have to be removed.

Recognizing that greenspace is an important element of our community, the new hospital has a sitewide landscape plan with over 80 new and healthy trees and hundreds of local plants which will be planted towards the end of the project.

As part of the project's site preparation, Northern Health relocated the old community garden to a new location further south on Northern Lights College's campus. The grand opening of the community garden was held last year and the garden has been growing rapidly since. This space gives the local community a place and space to get involved in gardening and rent their own garden bed to grow and harvest what they would like.

Over the past couple of weeks, you have started to see activity on the site of the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital in preparation for construction of the new facility. We are committed to keeping you informed as activity continues throughout the duration of the project.

So far, the site has been surveyed, perimeter and silt fencing has been installed, some trees have been cleared, and project trailers and equipment have started to arrive.

Over the next month, you can expect:

• Top soil to be stripped
• Trees and shrubs to be cleared
• Bulk excavation will begin
• Construction on a temporary parking lot on the southwest side of NLC’s campus
• Construction on the project access road
• Power distribution works

Traffic in the neighbourhood may increase slightly but it is not expected to have a significant impact. The main traffic flow has most work vehicles accessing the site from 112 Ave to 12 St and into the College Access Road.

General work hours will be from 7am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday. The City of Dawson Creek has granted Graham permission to work on Sunday with shorter working hours. By allowing activity on site 7 days a week, the project can be completed faster.

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.

On Monday, June 26, Minister of Health Adrian Dix visited Dawson Creek to announce the selection of the preferred proponent and signing of the Design Build Agreement for the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital. A large group of stakeholders, partners, and community members joined him on this beautiful sunny morning.

Bev Lambert, First Nations Health Council and representative for the Treaty 8 Chiefs

Shannon Anderson, Northern Health Board of Directors

Leonard Hiebert, Chair, Peace River Regional Hospital District

Darcy Dober, Mayor, City of Dawson Creek

Dr. Magda Du Plessis, Medical Director, Northern Health

Cathy Ulrich, CEO, Northern Health & Adrian Dix, Minister of Health

DCDH Project Team with Cathy Ulrich and Adrian Dix

People in Dawson Creek and area are one step closer to better access to care as a preferred proponent has been selected and the contract signed, with construction starting in July for the new Dawson Creek and District Hospital.

(Photo credits: Northern Lights College)

In co-ordination with Northern Health and Infrastructure BC, Graham Design Builders LP has been named the preferred proponent on the project. Graham Design Builders LP will be responsible for completing the design and building the new hospital.

“Our government has reached an important milestone with the Dawson Creek and District Hospital with the selection of the preferred proponent and the signing of the Design Build Agreement,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “People in the community and the region should expect to see work at the site in the weeks and months ahead as construction begins on the new and expanded hospital in Dawson Creek, and this is fantastic news.”

Construction is expected to begin in July 2023, with substantial completion in fall 2026. The new hospital is expected to be ready for patients in 2027.

“We are taking action to improve access to health care for every person in B.C., no matter where they live,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. “This new hospital means that when people in Dawson Creek and surrounding communities need care they can access quality services without travelling long distances.”

The new building will be approximately 24,500 square metres (263,000 square feet) and have 70 beds, an increase of 24. The emergency department is also doubling in size. Treatment spaces are increasing from 10 to 15. The facility will continue to provide a range of surgical services, as well as chemotherapy, ambulatory care, radiology, clinical support and pharmacy services.

There will also be space for a laboratory, diagnostic imaging, as well as physical rehabilitation. New parents and families will be supported by a perinatal unit, including labour, delivery, recovery and post-partum rooms, and a nursery. Mental-health service delivery will be brought up to modern standards with a new inpatient suite and an increase of beds from 15 to 18.

“This announcement is wonderful news and an important investment for Dawson Creek and the network of communities served by the Dawson Creek and District Hospital,” said Colleen Nyce, chair of Northern Health’s board of directors. “This new facility will strengthen and improve health-care services for residents in the region, as well as the physicians and staff who provide care in this hospital.”

The hospital will be built in Treaty 8 territory, the ancestral home of the Beaver, Cree, Saulteau, Sicannie (Sikanni), and Slavey. The hospital serves the communities of Blueberry River First Nation, Doig River First Nation, Fort Nelson First Nation, Halfway River First Nation, communities of Kelly Lake, Prophet River First Nation, Saulteau First Nations, and West Moberly First Nations; as well as Métis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous populations within the Peace region of Treaty 8 territory.

Local First Nations are being consulted throughout the project to ensure that the new facility is culturally safe, welcoming, respectful and relevant. The new facility will include a spiritual room for use by people of all cultures and faiths. There is also work being done to further the inclusion of Indigenous people within the facility and project, pending input and feedback from the committees and working groups.

The project cost is approximately $590 million, which will be shared between the Province through Northern Health, and the Peace River Regional Hospital District.

“This announcement is exciting news. The new hospital will provide a modern care facility for the residents of the Peace region for years to come,” said Leonard Hiebert, chair, Peace River Regional Hospital District. “The Peace River Regional Hospital District is a proud supporter of this new facility and we look forward to the start of construction on this very important project.”

The existing hospital will remain operational during construction. Future use of the current site will be determined after the new hospital is in operation.

Read the news release on the BC Gov News site - New hospital in Dawson Creek moves forward | BC Gov News

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.

To accompany the beautiful pieces of art, Northern Health was invited to feature an exhibit for the new Dawson Creek and District Hospital.

Ashley Pannozzo, Community Engagement Liaison and Jennifer Dunn, Clinical Lead set up a table and were there to answer questions about the project, share the project's fact sheet and information about upcoming milestones, and build excitement about the project with the display of artistic renderings of some of the spaces within the new facility.

The evening began with portraits and sketches by local artist Gary Lowe, mini-games to start the fun, piano tunes by Julie LaForge, and sweet and savoury snacks from Beans&Barley. Attendees enjoyed refreshments by Browns Socialhouse, a buffet dinner by Don's Diner, and a silent auction with over 40 items. The evening concluded with the art auction which was a huge success and live music by Graydon Schilds, Christian Kiyawasew and Cody Fonda.

Thank you again to the Dawson Creek Art Gallery for inviting us to be part of this exciting annual event. It truly was a remarkable evening filled with amazing pieces of artwork, great conversations with local partners and lots of fun!