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Mayor doesn’t see Sask Hospital request coming to council in 2016

Jun 2, 2016 | 2:35 PM

North Battleford city council won’t entertain a $4 million dollar request from Saskatchewan Hospital, yet.

David Fan Chief Executive Officer of Prairie North Health Region requested the money for furnishing and equipment. The region would like North Battleford, the R.M. of North Battleford, Battleford and Battle River to contribute funds.

“I have had conversations with Mr. Fan before so I wasn’t surprised by the request,” North Battleford Mayor Ian Hamilton said. “I was surprised by the amount of the request. We had never talked about how much he would be asking for.”

The cost for building and maintaining the hospital for 30 years will cost $407 million which is 100 per cent funded by the government. However, Saskatchewan Hospital has to raise $8 million total for furnishing and equipment.

“Personally and from what I’ve heard from council is this is something we won’t entertain until prior to budget deliberations in the fall. The way it was presented to me was in a per capita which by the numbers North Battleford would be asked to contribute $3 million. That’s an awful lot of money for the rate payers,” Hamilton said.

Prairie North’s payroll is $294 million a year of which $150 million goes towards the roughly 1,800 people who are employed and live in the Battlefords area.

“There is a roll for all of us to play including municipalities to raise this money,” Fan said. “About 53 percent of Prairie North’s pay roll budget is spent in the Battlefords so we are a significant employer in this area.”

According to Fan it’s a standard approach in this province to raise the money for furnishing and equipment locally. How they go about doing it varies from project to project.

Fundraising activities have only just started and council doesn’t want to commit any more towards the project until members see what the appetite is from the province.

 

ghiggins@jpbg.ca

@realgreghiggins