GN scrambles to salvage Iqaluit hospital renovation

Work on the renovation of the Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit, seen here after NCC-Dowland Construction Inc. walked away last month, may proceed as scheduled — if a new contractor gets on site soon. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)

Major renovations to Qikiqtani General Hospital will not fall behind if a new general contractor comes on to the project, the Government of Nunavut says.

General contractor NCC-Dowland Construction Inc., a partnership between NCC Investment Group and Dowland Contracting Ltd., defaulted on the $32.3 million hospital renovation project in May.

The Inuvik and Edmonton-based Dowland went into receivership last month, said hospital administrator Monte Kehler.

NCC Development Ltd. is now filling the role of general contractor until a new firm is found, he said.

The GN has directed the project’s bonding agent, which Kehler could not name, to complete the project.

“They’re the ones that are going to be re-tendering the contract,” Kehler said June 7. “They need to get another general contractor in place.”

Work on the first phase of the renovation project, which involves removal of hazardous material from the hospital, will continue to the end of June without delay, as planned, with Arctic Environmental Services on schedule to complete the work.

The project’s second phase, to begin immediately after, includes the addition of a new entrance to the building with an elevator, and a new loading bay in the rear of the building, Kehler said.

Foundations for the new additions also need to be put in this summer, he said, to keep work on schedule.

“If that doesn’t get done this summer, it would be done next year, and that would delay those areas,” Kehler said.

The GN is hopeful a new general contractor will be found in time to complete the work this summer, otherwise construction of the two additions would be put off by one year, he said.

Assuming a new contractor will be found in time to start work on the additions, the project will take up to one year and five months to complete, Kehler said.

Meanwhile, the GN and the bonding company is shipping in all construction material required for the entire renovation project.

“There’s been a lot of work put into identifying what materials we already brought on-site, what materials were on order from the past year that should be arriving on sea-lift, and what materials still need to be ordered,” Kehler said.

“We all have an interest in maintaining the schedule as best we can, and salvage the project, given what happened.”