Cardston receives investment for new health care facility

Southern Alberta Newspapers Photo by ALEJANDRA PULIDO-GUZMAN. ANNOUNCEMENT: Premier Danielle Smith alongside parliamentary secretary for rural health Justin Wright, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Matt Jones, MLA for Cardston-Siksika Joseph Schow and Mayor of the Town of Cardston Paula Brown, announced an investment of $74 million into a new health centre for the Town of Cardston on April 17.

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The government of Alberta announced Friday they are investing $74 million over the next three years to replace the Cardston Health Centre with a new modern facility. 

Premier Danielle Smith was in Cardston Friday and said the health centre has been serving residents of Cardston, the Blood Reserve and surrounding communities since 1959 and due to increase and aging of the population, it is time to replace it. 

“This funding will support planning, design and site readiness for the replacement health centre that will provide better access to care for people in southern Alberta,” said Smith. 

She said the new facility will improve access to integrated, high-quality healthcare that reflects the needs of a growing, aging an increasingly diverse community. 

“It will bring innovative technologies, increase capacity, and deliver a range of essential health services without requiring patients to make the long drive to Lethbridge or Calgary,” said Smith.

Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Matt Jones said the current Cardston Health Centre is one of the oldest facilities in the province and no longer meets modern safety, accessibility, and infection control standards.

“The current facility was built in 1959, expanded in the early ‘80s, but is now one of the oldest health facilities in the province and it serves more than 16,000 residents in the Cardston/Kainai region and supports about half a million visitors to Waterton National Park,” said Jones. 

He said the government is committing $74 million over the next three years towards the overall $474 million development to modernize and build a new facility. 

“This project started with the needs assessment back in 2021, which was followed by the completion of business case and site selection in 2022 and it is now advancing through planning and functional programming,” said Jones.

He said they are targeting early work to begin in summer of 2027 and hoping completion can be done by early 2031, subject to approval and planning milestones. 

“The new facility will integrate acute care, diagnostic imaging, allied health, public health, mental health and addiction services, home care and even other services under one roof, improving care coordination and expanding regional capacity,” said Jones. 

He said it will increase the in-patient capacity from 19 to 24 beds including labour and delivery, postpartum isolation, bariatric rooms, along with 11 emergency treatment spaces. 

“The centre will reflect the unique needs of the various communities it serves, with the Blood Tribe invited to collaborate in the functional programming process of the health centre development,” said Jones. 

Mayor of the Town of Cardston Paula Brown they are grateful for the commitment from the government to support the development of a new facility. 

“This vital investment brings improved care, strengthens our community and ensures residents in Cardston and surrounding areas have access to the health care they deserve,” said Brown.