The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3
April 10, 2009
Valley NEWS
It’s official: ER upgrade gets funding doubling the size from 245 square metres to 546 square metres. This will increase the number of treatment bays The Invermere and District Hospital from six to 12 and includes a new sepawill receive $2.28 million dollars from rate ambulance entrance. the provincial government to round out “I am very happy about it,” said Dr. the funding needed for the $4.5 million Chris Gooch, emergency physician at upgrade to the Invermere and District the hospital. Hospital emergency department. “It is very sorely needed and I am The announcement, made Saturlooking forward to the privilege and day afternoon by East Kootenay MLA opportunity to work in a more efficient Bill Bennett, was met with cheers and emergency department.” applause by the crowd of more than The redevelopment project also in20 people who had gathered at the cludes the relocation of home and comInvermere and District Hospital. munity care offices to the public health “This is a great day for Invermere clinic in the lower level of the Columand the Columbia Valley,” Mr. Bennett bia House facility, adjacent to the hostold the crowd. pital. The vacant office space will then The announcement comes as a re- ALL SMILES—Invermere and District Hospital administrator Rose Bard is all smiles be converted into acute care spaces. lief to many residents of the Columbia as she studies designs for the hospital’s long-awaited, much-anticipated emergency de“This is proof that if you try hard Valley, who fought tooth-and-nail for partment renovation. The $4.3 million project received provincial funding Saturday. enough and long enough, you will end the funding. Photo by Cayla Gabruck up with success,” said Invermere Mayor “I just found out this morning. John Gerry Taft. signatures and would like to think that this positive and I are really pleased that the fundThe cost of the redevelopment ing has been confirmed,” said Joan Rouse, who along outcome was helped in someway by that. That those project is being shared between the province through with her husband John were responsible for circulat- voices were definitely heard . . . it’s wonderful news.” Interior Health, the Kootenay East Regional Hospital The current emergency room will be expanded District, the Columbia Valley Auxiliaries and the East ing a petition throughout the area the hospital serves and redeveloped to make the best use of existing space, Kootenay Foundation for Health. in support of the funding. “We gathered about 1,100 By Cayla Gabruck Pioneer Staff
Politicians deliver $2.5 million in stimulus spending By Sally Waddington Pioneer Staff Invermere, Radium, the Regional District of East Kootenay and Canal Flats were the recipients of more than $2.8 million in federal and provincial economic stimulus spending last weekend. Jim Abbott, MP for Kootenay-Columbia, and Bill Bennett, B.C. Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, visited Radium and Invermere council offices on Saturday to announce the grants. Radium was given $773,000, Invermere was given $1,181,000, the Regional District of East Kootenay was given $617,000, and Canal Flats was
given $243,000. See Page 30 for a full list of projects funded. “The Government of Canada is pleased to join with the Province in providing funding which helps to both build local infrastructure and create jobs,” said Jim Abbott. “This is another example of how the federal government is committed to strengthening B.C.’s economy and keeping British Columbians working.” Bill Bennett added, “By teaming up, we are helping to provide jobs, increase public safety and strengthen our province for the future.” Back in February, Jim Abbott toured the Columbia Valley to meet with local government leaders and
discuss priority projects for federal funding. “We apply for a lot of grants and our success rate is not high,” said Invermere mayor Gerry Taft. “It is surprising to get all the grants we applied for, all at once.” Radium mayor Dee Conklin said that stimulus funding is “crucially important” during tough economic times. “I personally don’t believe in the big bail-outs,” she said. “The money should be used to stimulate at the ground level – in other words, municipalities,” she said.
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More on Page 30 . . .