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Town of Battleford contributes to new Sask. Hospital

May 9, 2018 | 8:00 AM

The Town of Battleford will support the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford project by helping cover some of the costs for furnishings.

At its meeting Monday, council voted unanimously to contribute $5 per Battleford resident for five years, which works out to roughly $115,000. The funding will benefit the Saskatchewan Hospital NB New Beginnings campaign for furniture and new equipment, which has an $8-million fundraising goal.

Saskatchewan Hospital Director Linda Shynkaruk had tears of joy when council voted to support the project.

“What a heck of a way to kick off Mental Health Week,” she said to council. “On behalf of the patients and the staff of the Saskatchewan Hospital, I extend our deepest gratitude. This will help us get to our $8 million. It means a lot to us.”

Mayor Ames Leslie said providing financial support to the project wasn’t an easy decision.

“I had mentioned that this is not something that any municipality should be donating to, supporting,” Leslie said. “It’s not the responsibility of the community. But, for this group to gear down and find a way to make this work for this hospital, for the people of the hospital, for the people of this province, I think it’s just a small gesture of support from the municipality.”

Leslie said the plan for the donation will be discussed in detail at the town’s upcoming budget meeting. 

Coun. Shelley Boutin-Gervais was initially opposed to the idea the municipality should be contributing to a public-private partnership project. She questioned why the building construction would be funded but not the cost of furnishings. Despite her early opposition, however, she said the hospital will create many local jobs and in the end supported the town’s funding.  

“Mental health is probably one of the largest issues in healthcare right now,” Boutin-Gervais said.

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

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