A replacement power plant is now up and running at the Wallaceburg site of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA).
The power from the plant was connected to the existing hospital building two weeks ago, marking the completion of the first phase of a revitalization project for the local hospital.
Aaron Ryan, vice president of performance and chief financial officer at CKHA, said patients and staff won’t notice much of a difference, but the new power plant will provide a more stable service to the Wallaceburg site.
“It provides backup power and a redundant backup power system for the current building,” he said. “It was also built with the future in mind and has the capacity… to meet the needs of future expansions.”
Construction on the $8.1 million project power plant began in 2019 after receiving approval from the Ministry of Health. The provincial government also provided a grant of $7.3 million to be used towards the power plant’s boilers, generators and electrical distribution equipment.
Ryan said the hospital is thankful for the ministry and the contractors who completed the project.
“It’s been a good project through challenging times. Both through the COVID issues we’ve faced, as well as supply chain disruptions,” he said. “I think the team that was working on it really persisted. It looks great. They’ve done a fantastic job.”
Access to the hospital remains restricted to the front entrance for the time being. However, now that construction of the power plant is complete, Ryan said the rear entrance will likely be reopened to the public in the near future.
The next phase of redevelopment for the Wallaceburg hospital, which includes a new emergency department, medical beds, diagnostic imaging, and a laboratory, remains in the planning and design phase.
