It’s sledge hammers up, chimney down for the newest expansion to Lions Gate Hospital.
Dignitaries gathered at the base of the original hospital’s boiler stack Wednesday morning to kick off the next phase of construction on the state-of-the-art Paul Myers Medical and Surgical Centre.
Myers, a North Shore entrepreneur and philanthropist who put up $25 million of his own funds for the project, was joined by Ryan Beedie, president of the Beedie Development Group and chairman of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation’s $100-million fundraising campaign, for the groundbreaking.
“There is a lot of anticipation regarding this new centre and I am pleased to see that we’ve finally reached this stage,” Myers said in a release. “Like many people in the community, I look forward to a speedy construction schedule and completion of this important project.”
Contractors will now begin chipping away at the old chimney from the top, allowing debris to fall down to the bottom for removal. Once the old power plant is demolished, the new acute care tower will start construction.
The expansion, which will feature 108 single patient rooms, eight new operating rooms, therapeutic healing, an elder-friendly environment and a virtual health centre, will be the most technologically advanced hospital in BC when it opens in 2023, according to the foundation.
