New Stanton Territorial Hospital
Location: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Status: In Operation
Provincial/Federal/Municipal: Territorial
Date of Financial Close: September 2015
Date of Substantial Completion: December 2018
Value of Partmership: $350 million (construction) and $18 million a year to maintain for 30 years
Type of P3: DBFM
Handback: 2048
The Stanton Territorial Hospital Renewal modernized the primary acute-care facility serving the Northwest Territories, ensuring long-term capacity for a growing and geographically dispersed population. Located in Yellowknife, the project provides secondary, tertiary and specialized care to approximately 50,000 residents in NWT and the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut.
The redevelopment replaced an aging hospital with a new facility designed to support contemporary health-care delivery and future population growth. Population forecasts for the hospital’s catchment area predict an increase of approximately 13 per cent over 35 years, requiring additional capacity and more flexible clinical space.
The new hospital comprises a 27,000 sq. metre building organized around a two-storey podium and a three-storey inpatient tower with 100 inpatient beds (all rooms are designed for single-patient occupancy to improve privacy and infection control). Clinical services include an expanded emergency department with two trauma bays, medical imaging, dialysis, obstetrics, pediatrics, cardiology and mental health programs, along with day procedure and surgical suites.
A modern medical laboratory together with diagnostic and ambulatory care areas support faster patient flow and improved access to specialized services.
Construction began in October 2015, with service commencement achieved in November 2018. The first patient day happened on May 26, 2019, followed in July with an official grand opening celebration.
Redevelopment occurred in multiple phases to allow the existing hospital to remain fully operational throughout construction. This approach minimized disruption to patients and staff while enabling continuous delivery of essential services. Architectural features, including mass timber elements and extensive use of wood finishes, contribute to a welcoming environment, which was designed in collaboration with the Indigenous community. Indigenous artwork, design motifs and cultural artifacts are used throughout the project in an appropriate, authentic and meaningful way.
During the construction period, the initial service provider, Carillion Canada, defaulted under the services contract. To resolve the situation, Fairfax Financial Holdings acquired elements of Carillion Canada’s support services. Fairfax then established a new company, Dexterra, and assumed the contracts to the same terms and conditions as Carillion Canada. BHP worked with Carillion Canada and Dexterra to ensure minimal to no impact to the project.
Although Yellowknife is considered to be a remote location, the private consortium, through Clark Builders' local presence, understood how to staff and resource the project. An entire motel was taken over to house staff and part of the project was fast-tracked, wtith the consortium starting the build before the design was complete. The delivery dates versus required on-site dates were closely managed to ensure adequate lead time. Much of the plumbing installations were prefabricated in Ontario with local suppliers used where possible.
The Stanton Territorial Hospital Renewal project is currently in its 30-year operations phase, which includes the provision of hard and soft services. As part of its DBFM P3 agreement, the territorial government pays monthly service payments comprised of capital payments and O&M payments, in addition to life cycle payments, during the operations phase.
Under the P3 agreement, Boreal Health Partnership also committed to carrying out initial renovations to remove and manage hazardous materials within the existing Stanton Hospital (since renamed the Łıwegǫ̀atì Building).
In 2016, the government leased the legacy hospital building to a third-party developer, Ventura Stanton Inc. (Ventura). In 2017, the government entered into a 30-year tenancy agreement with Ventura for the building, which it continues to own, a 2024 auditor general's report notes.
Partners:
Public: The Government of the Northwest Territories
Private: Boreal Health Partnership (HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions North America, LLC; Bird Capital; BBGI; Clark Builders; Bird Design Build Construction Inc.; Dexterra; Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd.; Crossey Engineering; Weiler Smith Bowers Consulting Structural Engineering Ltd.; Stantec Architecture; Mott MacDonald; Ernst Young; RFP Solutions Inc.; and Northwest Environmental)
