Williams Lake hospital expansion, upgrade begins

The entrance to Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake, B.C. is seen in an undated Google Maps image.

British Columbia's health minister says the long-awaited redevelopment and expansion of the 1960s-era hospital serving the Cariboo region is underway.

Adrian Dix says the $366.5-million construction project now starting at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake will increase the hospital's capacity and provide a modern working environment.

The minister, who was in Williams Lake for a news conference about the project, says it includes two phases, with a three-storey addition set for completion in 2026 and further facility redevelopment and renovations ready by 2029.

Dix says the project will add 25 beds and a new emergency department, while expanding surgical, maternity, pharmacy and mental-health and substance-use treatment areas.

Health care in Williams Lake was the subject of controversy last year, when local politicians, Indigenous leaders and health officials raised concerns about medical staff shortages at the hospital.

Dr. Glenn Fedor, the hospital's senior medical director who has been practising in Williams Lake for 42 years, says the expansion will offer the public and health practitioners top-notch care in a fully modern facility.

“I've waited for this moment for many years,” he said Tuesday. “It's almost like a dream come true. Please pinch me.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.