Maskwa Medical Center 2024 in Review: A Year of Progress and Excitement

2024 was a transformative year for the Maskwa Medical Center as we took major steps towards turning our long-anticipated vision into reality. With construction set to begin this spring, the center hopes to open in late 2026. This milestone year was filled with significant developments, as the Maskwa Board worked tirelessly to finalize agreements and set the stage for what will be a groundbreaking healthcare facility for the region.

Key Highlights from 2024:

Community Engagement Tour: This year, we completed a successful tour of Northwest Alberta municipalities, towns and cities to engage with municipal leaders. Travelling over 20,000 kms these tours were designed to inform and involve local governments, gathering invaluable feedback and fostering collaboration to ensure that the Maskwa Medical Center serves the needs of the entire region.

Fundraising Success: A significant accomplishment was our fundraising efforts, securing approximately $15 million in funding to cover the capital construction costs. We are grateful for the generous contributions from municipalities and donors, whose support will make this transformative project possible. We will launch our 2025 Fundraising Campaign in February with donations being accepted directly or through Northwest Alberta Foundation.

Maskwa Medical Center will be located immediately across from the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital
Construction is anticipated to begin in the Spring of 2025
Saddle Hills County commits $3.5 million in funding, pending 2025 budget approval.

Land Agreement: A key achievements of the year was negotiating a long-term 60-year land agreement with the province. This agreement lays a solid foundation for the construction of the Maskwa Medical Center and marks a crucial step toward ensuring the project’s sustainability and success.

Finalizing Design and Engineering Plans: Behind the scenes, our team has been diligently working on finalizing the design and engineering plans for the new center. With careful attention to detail, the facility design will meet the evolving healthcare needs of our community and other services needed within the area of the new hospital for years to come.

Family Physician Residency Floor Plan: The ground floor of the Medical Center will accommodate the University of Alberta Family Residency program which will have the capacity to see approximately 15,000 patients per year.  The interior design of this space has been completed and ready for submission to contractors for construction.

General Contractor Selection: In line with our progress, we released construction bids to several qualified contractors and recently began the process of reviewing each submission to select a general contractor that will bring both expertise and commitment to our local trades and material suppliers. It is important they understand the impact this facility will have on NW Alberta and ensure the quality and operational efficiency of the construction meets the expectations and vision laid out by the Maskwa Board and its partners.    

Expression of Interest for Facility Space: Through a released Expression of Interest (EOI) the Maskwa Medical Center was able to gauge interest in the available space within the Center. The response we received has been overwhelmingly positive, with many organizations submitting applications and expressing their interest in occupying space within the facility. This high level of engagement is a strong indication of the demand for a comprehensive facility near the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital (GPRH) that the Maskwa Medical Center will provide. The Maskwa board hopes to select tenants for each space by the end of February 2025.

In 2025, we remain focused on the next steps in this exciting journey. We look forward to construction starting in May 2025 and the continued support of our community and partners as we work towards improving the quality of life and changing health outcomes for Northwestern Alberta. Together, we are building a healthier future for Northwest Albertans.

Stay tuned for more updates as we move closer to breaking ground on this life-changing project.

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