New hospital work goes forward

IQALUIT — Small steps towards the possible construction of a new Baffin hospital and new health facilities in Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet will be made over the next few days.

The Nunavut government expects to sign contracts with Nunavut’s three Inuit birthright development corporations in the coming days to finish some preliminary work on the three health projects.

It’s expected the birthright corporations will build the facilities and lease them back to the government under what’s called a public-private partnership — or P3.

The Nunavut cabinet still hasn’t given a green light to the three health facilities, but the “reimbursement agreements” will allow the corporations to start work, and guarantees that each will be reimbursed if the government backs away from the expected P3 agreements.

The reimbursement agreements are worth $100,000 a piece, said Glenn Sargant, the director of corporate services in the Nunavut Department of Finance.

Once the agreements are signed, the Qikiqtaaluk Corp. will begin engineering studies on the lot selected for the Iqaluit hospital.

Planning for the facilities in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay is further ahead, but some preliminary work still needs to be completed, Sargant said. He said expects the work can be completed by the fall, when the projects will go to cabinet for approval.

If cabinet decides to approve the projects as P3s, the Nunavut government will then negotiated contracts with each of the three regional birthright development corporations.

While the projects haven’t been given the official go-ahead, Sargant said the reimbursement agreements show the government is taking the projects seriously.

“This work that’s being done we’re taking seriously and the government’s going to take a look at it,” Sargant said. Policies and procedures for P3 agreements are now being circulated.
The Iqaluit replacement hospital is expected to cost between $25 and $30 million.