Download a pdf of the November 2022 Quarterly Project Update.

WHERE WE'RE AT

Construction advancing steadily

Cranes removed

Over four days at the start of October, the two tower cranes on the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) construction site were dismantled and removed. The two cranes were initially erected last summer to move heavy equipment and materials. With the structural bulk of the new hospital complete, smaller mobile cranes or teleporters, which are forklifts with an extending boom, will be used to move materials to upper floor locations.

Workers installing exterior insulation and siding on west side of new hospitalPreparing for winter and work inside

Construction of the new hospital remains on schedule. While timeline adjustments due to labour and supply channel disruptions are always a possibility, to date the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project has not been affected.

Workers continue to install insulation and siding on the exterior of the building and the shell of the new facility should be complete by the end of the year. With the shell in place, work can continue inside the building throughout the winter. Some work is already happening inside the building such as mechanical and electrical work, and placement and installation of boilers, air handling units, and steel studs in various departments on the first two floors. Various pieces of equipment also continue to be delivered and installed as they arrive.

More workers on site

The total number of workers on site varies depending on the specific work requirements at any give time. Throughout the past few months, the number of workers on site has increased significantly, from fewer than 200 to more than 250 workers. Over the course of the project, over 80 regional businesses have also secured contracts and supplied goods or services to the project with many continuing to service and supply the project.

New Seven Sisters Underway

Construction of the new Seven Sisters has begun and is expected to be complete by the end of 2023. The foundation for the new facility is underway and concrete pours are beginning this month.

Start of new Seven Sisters foundationSeven 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 redevelopment will allow more people to receive care in a larger space with additional amenities. The new Seven Sisters will be nearly twice as big as the existing building and include 25 beds, which is an increase from the current 20. The new facility will also add treatment rooms, meeting spaces and recreational facilities. Patients will have access to abundant natural light and outdoor space.

Both the new Seven Sisters and the new hospital are being built on the same site as the existing facilities. The new Seven Sisters will be on the southwestern corner of the site to the left of the existing hospital's main entrance.

Farewell Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty building is no more. The building was demolished earlier this month to make room for the new Mills Memorial hospital and parking at the future facility. While it’s sad to say goodbye to a building with such rich history, it’s exciting to make way for the new hospital.

Sleeping Beauty was originally built in 1961. Over its lifetime, the building has had many purposes, including being a nurses' residence and a place for visiting specialists and expectant mothers. For many years, it was home to Terrace's pediatric services. Soon after construction of the new hospital began, pediatric services moved to the Park Avenue medical clinic. In the future, pediatric services will move to the Keith Avenue mall, across the street from the new hospital. In the last few months, Sleeping Beauty served as an office for PCL, the main contractor designing and building the new hospital.

WHERE WE'RE GOING

The construction and design of the new hospital and Seven Sisters are still an important focus of the Mills Memorial Replacement project. However, we are also ramping up planning and work around patient care and operations at the new facilities.

Transition Coordinator hired

GAnne Chisholm,
Transition Coordinatoretting the facility ready for patient use includes preparing physical space, equipment, and technology. But people need to be ready too. New space and technology mean new ways of working for staff, physicians, and managers who need to be supported with training and development to provide care and service with the new workflows, new equipment and new technologies. Patients and families and the broader community will also need to be supported to get to know the new hospital.

Anne Chisholm has joined the project to help coordinate and support staff, physicians, and managers to become ready to provide care, services and supports in the new hospital and Seven Sisters. She has over 35 years of experience in health care, first as a staff nurse followed by many years of management and leadership work in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia. Two of her recent projects include the establishment of the Primary Care Medical Unit at UHNBC and the Urgent Care Centre in Prince George. Anne is excited by challenges and successes that come with working collaboratively to solve problems. She will quickly become a familiar face around the hospital. Say hello when you see her!

More supports

• A Recruitment and Retention Ambassador position specifically for Northwest BC has been created. The role will play a big part in recruitment efforts for the new facilities in Terrace.
• A Physician Lead position, who will help with the transition and recruitment of physicians for the new facilities, is in development.
• A company that specializes in healthcare facility transitions will support the physical move from the current hospital to the new one.

A backhoe opens a hole in the roof of the Sleeping Beauty as the building demolition begins on November 3, 2022. Click on the photo to see a short video.

More traffic will be coming in and out of Gate 2 on Haugland Avenue.

Construction of the new Seven Sisters, on the southwest corner of the hospital site, has begun. That means more contractors and suppliers are now using the site entrance (Gate 2) on Haugland Avenue, and traffic in this area has increased.

We suggest those who tend to travel or park along Haugland, especially near Eby Street, aim to park elsewhere and be cautious.

The new Seven Sisters is expected to be complete by the end of 2023.

The foundation of the building is now underway and concrete will start to be poured next week.

In preparation for its demolition, Sleeping Beauty has been fenced off and workers have been removing materials from the building.

Starting Monday, October 31, the Sleeping Beauty building on Tetrault Street will be demolished over approximately five days.

The demolition of Sleeping Beauty is necessary to make room for the new Mills Memorial hospital and parking at the future facility.

While the demolition won’t be especially noisy, it may cause airborne dust. Depending on the weather, to mitigate this dust, the contractor will use hoses to dampen the material as needed. Still, we suggest neighbours keep windows closed during this time. It’s cold outside, so hopefully won’t be a problem!

Temporary closure of Tetrault parking lot

To accommodate the demolition of Sleeping Beauty, the new, temporary hospital parking lot on Tetrault street will be fenced off and unavailable between Sunday, October 30 and Sunday, November 6. This will ensure the safe movement of trucks removing materials from the site and prevent damage from flying debris.

We understand any decrease in parking is difficult and we are working to find solutions to relieve this temporary situation next week.

The Sleeping Beauty sign and building (behind it), before construction of the new hospital began.

Sleeping Beauty was originally built in 1961. Over its lifetime, the building has had many purposes, including but not limited to being a nurses' residence as well as a place for visiting specialists and expectant mothers. For many years, it was home to Terrace's pediatric services. Soon after construction of the new hospital began, pediatric services to the Park Avenue medical clinic. In the future, pediatric services will move to the Keith Avenue mall, across the street from the new hospital.

In the last few months, Sleeping Beauty served as an office for PCL, the main contractor designing and building the new hospital.

While it’s sad to say goodbye to a building with such rich history, it’s exciting to make way for the new hospital.

New Seven Sisters construction is underway!

Artist rendering of the new Seven Sisters.

In the last couple weeks, workers broke and removed the asphalt from the parking lot outside of the current Mills Memorial Hospital's psychiatric department. They also built up and leveled the ground in the area. This is so that work on the new Seven Sisters' foundation can begin.

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 redevelopment will allow more people to receive care in a larger space with additional amenities.

“The new Seven Sisters will ensure that when people in northwestern B.C. need mental-health support, they get timely, high-quality care close to home, which is crucial to their recovery,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “We are committed to continuing to build a strong healthcare service network in the region, which will help build resilient communities.”

“When people make the brave decision to reach out for mental-health and substance-use supports, it’s crucial that these supports are available no matter where they live,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “The new Seven Sisters in northwestern B.C. will bring more treatment options to northern communities, adding to the comprehensive and seamless continuum of mental-health and addictions care our government is building for all British Columbians.”

October 16, 2022 new Seven Sisters siteNearly twice the size

The new Seven Sisters will be nearly twice as big as the existing building and include 25 beds, which is an increase from the current 20. The new facility will also add treatment rooms, meeting spaces and recreational facilities. Patients will have access to abundant natural light and outdoor space.

"Seven Sisters is a valuable facility in Northwest B.C. A new building is key to serving the needs of vulnerable populations in our region," said Colleen Nyce, Chair, Northern Health Board. "The increase in the number of beds, the size of the facility and the amenities in the facility will improve the quality of living and care for patients, and improve the ability for staff to give that care.”

Part of the MMH Replacement Project

The Seven Sisters project is part of the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project.

Both the new Seven Sisters and new hospital are being built on the same site as the existing facilities. The new Seven Sisters will be on the southwestern corner of the site to the left of the existing hospital's main entrance.

The existing Seven Sisters facility will be demolished, and the site will be used for the new hospital.

The current Seven Sisters will eventually be demolished to make room for the new Mills Memorial Hospital. "Seeing the new Mills Memorial Hospital construction progress so smoothly and so quickly over the past year has been very rewarding for the people in our region," said Barry Pages, Chair, North West Regional Hospital District. "Now, with the construction of a new Seven Sisters beginning, the people of Northwest B.C. have even more to look forward to."

The new mental-health facility is expected to be complete in late fall 2023.

More Info

Go to the Mills Memorial Construction Cam link to check out progress on what will be the future hospital and new Seven Sisters. To see the new Seven Sisters site camera, select 'Mills Memorial Hospital 2' under location, on the left side of the page.

Read the October 19, 2022 BC government news release 'Construction starts on new mental-health facility in Terrace'.

Over the course of three days, starting Friday, September 30, the two tower cranes were dismantled with the use of other cranes, and removed from the site. Check out a time lapse video showing the process.

The cranes have been part of views from every direction in Terrace for the last year, including this one from Lanfear Hill.

As of Tuesday, October 4, the two tower cranes on the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) construction site will be gone.

The cranes garnered significant attention when they first went up. For several months, local residents – including many excited children – would stand on the sidewalk near the Sande Overpass watching them work. Similarly, local photographers and videographers took the opportunity to catch visuals of the cranes swiveling and lifting, as this is the only time Terrace has ever had something like this in town.

The cranes will be dismantled over the course of four days, starting Friday, September 30. The crane on the south end of the site, closer to Haugland will be taken down first and the crane on the north end will follow.

Tower cranes are made up of a vertical tower (the mast) and an outstretched jib (the working arm). The jibs will be removed first, then the vertical towers taken down in pieces. This is the reverse order of how the cranes were put up.

The two cranes were initially erected just over a year ago, in August 2021, for the purpose of moving heavy equipment and materials. With the structural bulk of the new hospital complete, from here on, either smaller, mobile cranes or teleporters, which are forklifts with an extending boom, will be used to move materials to upper floor locations.

Cranes being erected last summer. Fun facts about the MMH tower cranes and its operators!

• Each operator works with a person on the ground, called a rigger or a swamper. A rigger’s main responsibility is to safely hook up loads for the operator to move with the crane.
  
  
• Each morning the MMH crane operators would start their shifts at 6am and meet to discuss plans for the days with safety being at the forefront of these discussions. They’d start climbing up their towers to the crane cab at approximately 6:20 am, often in the dark but under the bright lighting on the top of the mast guiding their way. After running safety tests and inspections, they’d start moving materials around 7am. Shifts were 12 hours long, ending at 6pm, and the operators take their breaks in the cab, not leaving their post until the end of their shift.
  
  
• Each crane has two radio systems for on site communications. One is used to communicate with the rigger. The other communicates with the other crane operator.
  
  
• Crane operators must consider many factors when moving materials on site, including but not limited to, what’s happening on the ground, the weight and shape of the materials, the outside climate (especially the wind), how to best mitigate risks, and much more.

Sharon Bryant of Kitsumkalum First Nation (right front) and Isabelle McKee of Kitselas First Nation (left front) are both members of the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group. Here they are pictured at a ground blessing ceremony on site last spring. In the back row are Gerald Nyce of the Kitselas Health department, and Northern Health Board Chair Colleen Nyce.

In light of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation this Friday, September 30, we wanted to tell you an important way Northern Health has engaged with Indigenous groups on the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement project.

First ever Indigenous Advisory Working Group supports design of new Terrace hospital

With a budget of more than $600 million, the Mills Memorial Hospital (MMH) Replacement project, which includes the building of a new hospital in Terrace, is the largest capital project Northern Health has undertaken to date.

Northern Health engages with Indigenous groups, communities, and patients in many ways. And to date, all Northern Health capital projects, including the MMH project, have been supported by Capital Advisory Committees, which include representatives from local First Nations.

The MMH project, however, was the first Northern Health capital project to be supported by an Indigenous Advisory Working Group (IAWG) specific to the project.

“Being part of the IAWG and being able to provide feedback on plans has been wonderful. It’s exciting to be able to help create a safe space, share our culture and the ways it may be best represented in the new hospital. Unity and input from the group will help Indigenous patients feel safer and more welcome at the new facility,” said Sharon Bryant, a member of the Kitsumkalum Nation and the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group.

The MMH IAWG was formed in the spring of 2021. Members include representatives from the Nations of Kitsumkalum, Kitselas, Nisga’a and Gitxsan, Metis Nation of BC, Kermodei Friendship Society, and First Nations Health Authority.

The purpose of the MMH Indigenous Advisory Working Group is to have a table for Indigenous input into design aspects of the project. The group provides input pertaining to considerations unique to Indigenous culture and practices to ensure the new hospital will be culturally safe, welcoming, respectful and relevant.

Aspects of the project that may be influenced by this group include but are not limited to patient experience, culturally appropriate design, artwork, signage, and other local considerations of interest that arise as the group meets.

“Northern Health is tremendously grateful for the participation of the members of this group. Their input is extremely valuable, and will help Northern Health in its ongoing desire and commitment to have culturally safe care occurring in culturally safe facilities,” says Ciro Panessa, Northern Health Chief Operating Officer, Northwest Health Service Delivery Area.

The MMH Replacement project consists of the building of a new hospital in Terrace and a new Seven Sisters facility, which provides a mental health rehabilitation and recovery program on the same property as the Terrace hospital. Among many other exciting new features, the new hospital will be more than double the size of the current facility, with almost double the number of beds, double the number of psychiatry beds, and double the number of emergency department treatment spaces.

In addition to the IAWG, the MMH Replacement Project is also supported by a Community Advisory Working Group, which also has representatives from local First Nations.

Input from the CAWG and IAWG is filtered upwards. It first goes to the MMH Capital Advisory Committee. Then it goes to the MMH Project Steering Committee who, in collaboration with the Project Board, balances the complexities of a capital building project with the needs and wants of the local and regional communities and residents.

Let’s Talk MMH is where you’ll find everything you want to know about the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project and all the groups we’ve described.

Note: The graphic used for this story was specially designed by Gitxsan artist Cori Johnson for Northern Health to recognize National Truth and Reconciliation/Orange shirt day. Read more about the graphic and the artist.

Dianne Rooker (left) and Heather Bellamy of the REM Lee Hospital Foundation at the PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. 2022 Mills Memorial Hospital Project Golf Tournament

Good weather and a good cause made for a great wrap up to two great days at the Skeena Valley Golf & Country Club this month.

PCL Constructors Westcoast hosted a golf tournament in Terrace on September 6 and 13 to raise money for the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation, which in turn raises money for two local health facilities: Mills Memorial Hospital and Terraceview Lodge.

Tournament participants included representatives from sponsors, PCL and the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project team. The tournament's leading sponsors include Air Canada and Diversified Transportation. Other sponsors include All North, Clean Harbors, Flynn, HDR Architecture, Houle Electrical, IG Wealth Management, Janitors Warehouse, Modern Niagara, Robertson Wall and Ceiling, Smith and Andersen, Soprema, Sunbelt Rentals, Sunco Drywall, Totem Ford Terrace, United Rentals and Willscot.

PCL is the contractor designing and building the new Mills Memorial Hospital and Seven Sisters in Terrace. The golf tournament is one of several volunteer and fundraising initiatives the company has undertaken to benefit the local community.

The tournament took place over the course of two afternoons to accommodate participants working on alternate shifts.