The log jam has been lifted and the plans can flow, said Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District chair John Massier after a presentation Friday from Interior Health and a formal request for funds to proceed with the Cariboo Memorial Hospital concept plan.
“We received a letter requesting 40 per cent of the total funding for the concept plan from IH. They are actually putting up 60 per cent of this from their own pockets,” Massier said. “It’s the first positive sign from Interior Health that they are moving ahead now. It’s the movement we’ve been hoping for and pushing them to make.”
There will be an open evening public meeting on June 26 where Northern Health will present the hospital master plan for the G.R. Baker Master Plan for the Quesnel hospital and Interior Health will present the concept plan for Williams Lake.
“We will have a discussion after that about how we are going to save them money,” Massier chuckled.
At the CCRHD board meeting May 10, the board asked staff to bring back a bylaw to authorize the funding for the concept plan, which will be around $240,000. for the next board meeting.
“We unanimously approved it. Interior Health has already worked on the request for proposals for the plan, and as soon as we approve the bylaw at our meeting the first week of June, then they will advertise.”
Massier’s hoping by the end of June a contractor will be in place and start collecting information over the next few months.
“I hope we’ll receive the plan by next spring at the latest and that will give us a lot more detail as to what we can do.”