Construction continues to advance on the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) redevelopment project in Williams Lake.
Executive Director, Clinical Operations, Thompson Cariboo Rural, Karen Cooper said the exterior of the new hospital building is nearing completion, and work has shifted to the interior.
That work, Cooper said, includes installation of flooring, walls and ceilings, as well as electrical, heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
Physical connections linking the existing hospital to the new addition are also taking place.
Cooper noted what has changed is that the project schedule does have a bit of an update.
“Graham Construction, the project’s design builder, has exercised their one-time contractual allowance to extend the substantial completion date for Phase 1. This adjustment moves substantial completion to the fall of 2026 so as a result the new departments are expected to open in early 2027 instead of late 2026. Our teams our looking forward to construction completion and the start of operational commissioning when we can begin preparing the new spaces for patient care.”
Cooper said once they open the new tower for patient care, they’ll begin immediately renovating the existing site in what’s called Phase 2.
“The updates that will happen to the existing hospital will be moving our Ambulatory Care Units where we do our cancer treatments, our procedures, they’ll move down to where the Emergency Department is currently located. That will come with a new main entry and reception area. Then where our current Med-Surg Inpatient Unit is, that space will be renovated to create a new Mental Health Substance Use Inpatient Unit.”
On the third floor, Cooper noted is the UBC Faculty of Medicine academic space.
“This will let us be able to bring in residence for their medicine preceptorships and have that clinical situation space to support their robust learning. Phase 2 is expected to begin in early 2027 and we’re aiming to have that completed in 2029.”
Cooper said the biggest question she gets asked around the new hospital development is “Will we (Interior Health) have the staff to be able to provide the services in the new building”.
“Interior Health is working really hard in advance of the space opening to begin to bring the staff that we’re going to need to be able to be successful with that. So we’re continuously recruiting, we have 7 new grads this year from the Nursing Program and we’ll continue to build on that success in order to make sure that we have the staff needed. When you build these once-in-a-generation buildings we know that that in itself is attractive. You have the space and the latest and greatest that really does enhance the staff experience and contributes a better health outcomes for our patients.”
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
