Category #construction Show all
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Construction ahead of schedule
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Hospital construction completion is ahead of schedule!
Originally scheduled for end of September 2024, substantial completion of the new hospital – when Northern Health takes ownership of the new building – is now set for end of August. Staff now have three months to get oriented and trained in the new facility, and prepare for patient care.
New timelapse construction videos
April 2024 project milestones
- New Seven Sisters is now open
- New hospital set to open late November this year
- Boilers are operating; oxygen tank is full
- Deficiency tests, compliance inspections and systems commissioning happening throughout new hospital
- Various new positions have been filled and significant efforts to recruit more physicians and staff continue
Public elevators and signage
Team Care Station -
Walk this way - on our new pathways
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PCL is preparing the ground in front of the new hospital’s main entrance on Tetrault Street for sidewalks, landscaping and paving. Some sidewalks and pathways have already been installed on the west and south side of the new hospital, and more are underway. These need to be in place for the hospital to open.
Some areas will be landscaped later this year, but most landscaping work will happen in 2025 and 2026, after the demolition of the current hospital.
New pathways on the south end of the new hospital.
Preparing the ground for paving in front of the new hospital. -
Start of permanent parking construction means more parking changes
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The time has come to start building permanent parking for the new hospital, and with that comes some more temporary changes to MMH parking.
These changes will take be implemented as of Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
With the removal of the former Seven Sisters facility, PCL will begin work in front of the main and emergency entrance areas of the new hospital. For this work to happen most of the temporary gravel parking lot on Tetrault Street will be removed. The area will be fenced off and become part of the construction site.
To make up for lost spots and help ease parking challenges until the new, permanent parking is available, we will be making the following changes:
- Adding a row of temporary parking spots, from east to west, along the hospital access road that runs from Tetrault Street to the existing hospital’s Emergency Department
- Temporarily reconfiguring the parking next to the new Seven Sisters parking lot to accommodate more vehicles
- Finding alternative off-site parking for NH service vehicles not needed on site at all times
We understand this is not an ideal situation. It is challenging and inconvenient. If possible, we ask you to consider:
- Arriving early
- Carpooling
- Getting dropped off and picked up (especially if you have mobility issues)
Thank you again for your patience at this time.
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New Seven Sisters is open!
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Northern Health gets the ‘golden key’ to the new Seven Sisters from representatives of PCL Constructors Westcoast. Seven Sisters staff and residents have successfully moved into the new site! Staff and residents are settling into their lovely new space, having spent their first night in the new facility last night.Read the Northern Health news release below about this exciting milestone.
And check out a video tour of the inside of the new facility.
New, bigger mental health facility opens in Terrace
People with serious mental health challenges in Terrace and the surrounding communities are benefiting from better care at the new Seven Sisters facility at Mills Memorial Hospital.
“People living with ongoing mental-health challenges need dedicated care in a space equipped to meet their daily needs as they work on their long-term recovery,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. “This newly expanded facility in Terrace will benefit patients, families, and the entire community by helping more people get the help they need to lead their best lives.”
Located in Terrace, Seven Sisters is a regional mental-health facility that provides long-term rehabilitation and recovery programs for adults living with serious and persistent mental illness. The new facility is nearly twice as big as the previous one and has 25 patient beds, an increase from 20.
“I am absolutely thrilled that the new Seven Sisters mental health facility in Terrace ia now open and operational. Our aim, as always, is to continually strengthen and improve health-care services for patients and residents, as well as the physicians and staff who provide care,” said Colleen Nyce, chair, Northern Health board of directors. “The new Seven Sisters is one more example of our commitment to ensuring high-quality support and care close to home for those who need it most.”
Along with new, modern furniture and equipment, staff and patients will benefit from the building’s many new features, including a multi-sensory room, various recreational spaces, more treatment rooms, staff and meeting spaces, and enhanced security features. Five of the residential rooms in the facility are also located in apartment-type spaces. These will allow residents to experience and better transition to independent living.
“Both staff and residents are excited to be in the new building and look forward to settling in,” said Clare Hart, Director of Specialized Services, Northwest Health Services Delivery Area, Northern Health. “We will continue to cultivate spaces of compassion, resilience and transformation, where every individual’s journey towards wellness is honored and supported.”
The new Seven Sisters is part of the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) replacement project. The new facility is located on the same site as the new and existing hospital, as well as the former Seven Sisters building, which will be removed to make room for part of the new hospital.
From left to right, in photo
• Brent Ponsford, Assistant Superintendent, PCL
• Brad Leier, Manager, Specialized Services – Acute/Tertiary, NW HSDA, NH
• Clare Hart, Director, Specialized Services, NW HSDA, NH
• Anne Chisholm, Lead – Health Services Administrator, Terrace & Stewart/Activation and Move, MMH Replacement Project, NH
• Rachel Rosales, Project Manager, PCL
• Michael King, Construction Manager, PCL
One of two residential eating areas in the new Seven Sisters. -
Videos: Virtual tours of new buildings
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Click on the video links below to check out progress inside the new hospital and the new Seven Sisters in Terrace. Learn more about the project and what staff have to say.
- New hospital virtual tour (video)
- New Seven Sisters virtual tour (video)
- MMH staff excited for new hospital (video)
Note these videos are from fall 2023 so many areas of work are further along!
These videos are also available on the Let's Talk MMH home page, on the right side, in the videos section.
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New hospital service road and parking spots
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Starting this week and over the next couple months, workers will be preparing to pave the road that runs along the west side of the Mills Memorial Hospital property. They will also be developing another 18 temporary unpaved parking spots near Haugland Avenue, south of the new Seven Sisters.
The work may result in a temporary increase of noise, vibration, dust and at times, smells. While these impacts may be unavoidable, as usual, we will minimize their severity and duration wherever and whenever possible.
This work will occur during regular construction site working hours (7am to 7pm). We aim to share more details as the work proceeds. However, the schedule of the work often depends on the conditions needed to perform tasks and this information is not always predictable ahead of time.
Paving will start at the south end of the site, near Haugland Avenue and proceed north towards Keith Avenue and then east, towards Tetrault Street.
The road being paved, currently being used for construction purposes, is the service road for the new hospital. The service road gives service vehicles and delivery trucks safe access to the property while minimizing disruption to emergency, staff, patient and visitor traffic.
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Water truck rolling again
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Record breaking temperatures are in the forecast the next week in Terrace. And what accompanies hot weather? Dust!Similar to previous years during hot and dry months, PCL is taking preventative measures to manage dust on and around the Mills Memorial Hospital construction site.
A water trailer is - and will be - on site at all times throughout the summer. Depending on conditions, the water truck sprays the site and surrounding areas, several times a day, to keep dust settled.
Part of the truck's route is along the road, between the site entrance on Tetrault Street (Gate 1) to the site entrance on Haugland Avenue (Gate 2), near the main entrance of the current hospital.
A hose is also located at each site entrance, and is used, as needed, to hose down vehicle tires. This prevents the tires from gathering and spreading dust into the air.
Stay cool!
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Colour makes all the difference
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Coloured panels now cover the outside of the future cancer care clinic, located in the southeast corner of the new hospital's main floor. The new Mills Memorial Hospital got a colour lift this month when the first brightly coloured exterior panels were installed .
The first of a range of earth- and wood-toned coloured panels were installed on the first floor of the southside of the building, starting June 8, and they give the building that pop of colour we’ve all been waiting for.
The earth and wood tones draw inspiration from the region's rich and earthy natural landscape. The colours also emulate a wood look, symbolizing Northwest BC.
Workers are now moving their way counter-clockwise around the new hospital and will begin installing them on the main floor of the front side of the building, facing Tetrault Street.
Updated Final Design
In the final design of the new hospital, the main floor features a mix of grey, earth and wood tones while the other three floors above ground are a mix of greys and white. The new Seven Sisters will feature similar colours as the main floor of the new hospital, to tie the two buildings together.
Initially, the exterior design presented to staff and community in 2021 primarily featured earth and wood tones. Feedback resulted in a lighter, more neutral look that blends into the Terrace’s mountainous landscape.
High Quality Panelling
The insulated metal panels, which will cover most of the exterior of the new hospital, have many advantages.
- Proven, long-term track record
- Hold up well to outdoor elements (for example, retains colour in long-term exposure to sunlight)
- Work with other energy saving solutions to optimize building energy
- Elegant and smooth finish
- Easily installed
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Celebrating two years of construction!
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Only a couple years ago the MMH construction site was an empty lot. See the images below comparing the site now to two years ago.
And now we are celebrating the following milestones!
- Canopies for the new hospital’s main entrance and emergency entrance on Tetrault Street are in place.
- Inside the new facility, more than 90% of the walls are framed, 65% are drywalled and 60% are taped.
- Millwork has begun.
- Flooring is complete in four departments.
- New Seven Sisters’ building envelope was completed in May 2023 and framing and drywalling has begun inside.
In May 2021, the MMH Construction Site had just been cleared of trees.
In May 2023, the exterior shell of the hospital is mainly complete and most of the work is happening inside the building -
Reducing environmental impact with LEED Gold
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Despite the new hospital being more than double the size of the current building, it will still emit significantly less greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases produced per square foot in the new hospital will be at least 70% less than the current facility. And the total reduction in greenhouse gases, from the current facility to the new one, will be at least 40%.Our aim is for the new Mills Memorial Hospital and Seven Sisters buildings to be high performance, environmentally responsible buildings that operate efficiently and provide a comfortable indoor environment for the occupants, promoting patient, visitor and staff wellness.
As part of this goal, the new Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project is working towards, and well on its way, to achieving LEED gold status, the second highest LEED designation possible.
LEED stands for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ and is the most common and widely used green building certification in the world. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project was designed and built, or operated, to achieve high performance in six areas of human and environmental health. From the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) website, these six areas are:
- location & transportation
- sustainable site development
- water savings
- energy efficiency
- materials selection
- indoor environmental quality
“LEED helps owners and developers create high-performing, resilient buildings that reduce carbon emissions, save water, conserve energy and reduce waste. LEED also improves people’s quality of life by delivering the optimal conditions for health, comfort and productivity – such as better quality air and natural light,” according to CAGBC.
LEED requirements have advised many choices in the design of the new hospital and Seven Sisters – for example, lighting, waste management, construction materials, space allocation, number of exits and entrances and bike and electric vehicle stations, and more.
A facility’s power sources and systems are an especially major consideration in LEED. Northern Health analyzed and reviewed various alternatives for electrical and mechanical systems in the new hospital and Seven Sisters. Two major focuses included maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing ongoing costs throughout the lifecycle of the facilities.
The majority of the energy savings in the new Mills Memorial Hospital will come from recycling heat thanks to the new facility’s mechanical systems. Both the new facilities will have highly efficient, low-temperature heating systems. Heating will be primarily based on recovered heat from building exhaust, or simultaneously rejected cooling load. In peak winter conditions, the system will be supplemented with high-efficiency, condensing, gas-fired boilers.
The new facilities will also have a highly efficient cooling system. The system will use magnetic bearing chillers, the most efficient chillers on the market. These are frictionless compressor machines that do not require lubrication (oil); machines that require lubrication tend to degrade more quickly.
