A year after NWT government staff first asked the Village of Fort Simpson for input on the location of a new health centre, that decision has yet to be made.
The village is slated for a new facility since the existing health centre was built in 1973 and is “nearing the end of its useful life,” a spokesperson for the NWT’s Department of Health and Social Services previously told Cabin Radio.
Where the new centre should be built – and how that site should be decided – became a topic of concern and frustration at village council meetings earlier this year.
The village ultimately sent a letter to the GNWT in late June recommending the facility be built off-island, a spokesperson for the territorial government told Cabin Radio, but no specific site was identified. (Much, but not all, of Fort Simpson exists on an island in the Mackenzie River.)
The Department of Health and Social Services agreed the mainland would be a more suitable location than the island, to ensure the health centre is accessible during emergency situations such as flooding. The GNWT has the final say over where it should be built, the department’s spokesperson said.
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The department and colleagues at the Department of Infrastructure “are reviewing sites that may be available and can accommodate both the scale of the facility and its suitability for the services offered,” the spokesperson added.
“To date, no site has been definitively identified. We continue working toward that goal, which is a critical priority.”
The spokesperson said there are many variables to consider such as land ownership, community zoning and planning, and soil conditions for foundation designs.
The department said there are no deadlines or timelines associated with making the decision, “but we are making every effort to do so as soon as possible for progression of the project.”
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Fort Simpson’s mayor, Les Wright, couldn’t be reached for comment about the project.
During previous council meetings, councillors expressed what they see as an urgent need to start the project so residents can access the new facility and the village can benefit from tax revenue it would generate.
The village recently approved a five-year deficit recovery plan that would reduce its expenses by $389,000 annually. It reported a deficit of more than $2 million as of last December.
