Tenders out for hospital projects.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: CONSTRUCTION

The days of summer bring many things: heat, humidity, and for several of Northern Ontario's major hospitals, construction.

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For instance, the Timmins and District Hospital is in the midst of a 10,000-square-foot expansion to its existing facility.

According to Tim Gehrke, vice-president and CFO, work on the project began in late June, while drilling, blasting, backfill and the establishment of footing and foundations was anticipated to be completed by the third week of July.

The expansion, set to cost $2.2 million, will house six medical specialists. It will also act as the new home for administrative offices for the Timmins' branches of North Network and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Work is scheduled to be completed by late fall, at which point occupancy is expected to begin.

After being on hold since 2001, work on the Sudbury Regional Hospital recently took another step forward when the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal officially issued Request for Proposals this past June.

Five firms were selected following the ministry's issuing of a Request for Qualifications in March, and a decision is expected to be made in late fall.

The hospital's capital project is currently in Phase 2, and represents an expansion that will eventually find the city's other two hospitals consolidating at the principal Laurentian Hospital site.

North Bay is also facing an amalgamation of sorts as the city's General Hospital and Northeast Mental Health Centre will be consolidated into an entirely new facility.

"It's the first time in Canada that an acute services facility and a mental health hospital will co-locate together," says Pat Stephens, manager of public relations.

"The new facility will share many features between the two groups, such as a joint staff cafeteria and housekeeping."

Stephens says that the new 700,000-square-foot facility represents a significant upgrade over what's currently available. North Bay General Hospital, which has 194 beds, will be improved to 275 beds in the new building, while the mental health facility, which had...