New Mills will not have a helipad

Northern Health had a third party lead a process to review the development of a helipad as part of the Mills Memorial Hospital replacement project. The report concludes:

• The airport is the optimal location for fixed and rotary wing emergency transportation
• The current project is prohibitive for the development of a ground level helipad at this time
• The risks associated with helicopters incidents at a healthcare facility helipad when compared to the short travel distance from the airport to the helipad are significant

In addition, fixed-wing transport is a mainstay through the BC Ambulance system and requires an airport from which patients may be directly transferred. Ground ambulance is still required for patient transport no matter the location of the helipad.

The full reports can be seen below:

• Final assessment report
• GroundEffects Aerodrome report