LITTLE CURRENT—During the monthly board meeting of the Manitoulin Health Centre held last week at the Little Current site, board members were treated to an update from Chief Financial Officer Lynn Foster on the status of the long awaited Manitoulin Central Family Health Team’s (FHT) new clinic building adjacent to the Mindemoya Hospital.
Ms. Foster explained that since the October 24, 2013 announcement that capital funding for the FHT had been approved, a memorandum of agreement had been signed with the government and that architects Yallowega-Balenger have been contracted as prime consultants. She noted that it was this firm that acted as prime consultants for the Northeastern Manitoulin FHT and were well versed in such buildings.
A project manager, Barry Parsons, has also been hired to represent both the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) and the FHT. Mr. Parsons is no stranger to the process either, as he also acted as project manager for the Northeastern Manitoulin FHT and has a long history with the MHC as, before retirement, Mr. Parsons acted as the manager of environmental services for the two sites.
An estimated plan schedule has also been created along with architectural drawings of the floor plan, internal and external views, as well as mechanical and electrical briefs, Ms. Foster continued.
As there is much in the way of the approval process between the FHT and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care before the shovel can hit the ground (with an estimated six weeks between each approval), the beginning of September is the estimated construction start for the Mindemoya-based 4,148 square foot FHT with an end of February 2015 completion date.
