Planning is properly underway for a brand new well being facility in Sicamous, B.C., after the neighborhood was awarded a $5.9-millin grant for the undertaking two years in the past.
Officers hope the deliberate Shuswap Therapeutic Centre will assist the neighborhood entice extra medical doctors as many residents are at present travelling out of city for medical care.
The brand new facility, to be constructed at 200 Principal St., is predicted to be the brand new house for the neighborhood’s medical doctors’ workplaces and a number different medical providers.
Nevertheless, the proposed location is proving controversial with some locals arguing the land earmarked for the Shuswap Therapeutic Centre must be become a park.
Amongst them is Stephen Seelinger, who says opponents of the situation don’t care what the proposal is they don’t wish to see the land developed in any manner.
Whereas the land is at present zoned industrial, residents say it’s already getting used as a gathering place.
Resident Fred Beruschi mentioned he’s “all for a therapeutic centre in Sicamous,” however thinks the choice to place it at 200 Principal St. was shortsighted.
“I acknowledge how vital it’s to have inexperienced house. As soon as it’s gone it’s gone. 100 years from now if this [green space] continues to be right here individuals will say, ‘Thank goodness they maintained this stunning inexperienced house,’” Bruschi mentioned.
Critics of the deliberate location argue the therapeutic centre must be moved again to a different piece of empty land two blocks down the road, the place the District of Sicamous had beforehand deliberate to place it, or to a different spot.
“We’ve a medical centre on the subsequent road over. I’m unsure why they aren’t contemplating that piece of property which is a really large piece of property and the constructing could be very, very outdated,” mentioned resident Mary Laurila.
Nevertheless, the district says neither various web site is sensible.
Officers say the land within the 400 block of Principal Avenue is earmarked for badly-needed housing and there isn’t house for the therapeutic centre and the district believes it doesn’t make monetary sense to tear down the present medical constructing which additionally homes different tenants.
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Councillor Malcolm Makayev mentioned the present medical constructing nonetheless has helpful life left in it and might be repurposed as soon as the medical doctors’ workplaces are moved.
If the location is developed as a well being facility, the general public house at 200 Principal St. gained’t be utterly eradicated. The district additionally plans to maintain barely greater than half an acre of the location as inexperienced house.
“It is going to be nicer than it’s now. This can be a excellent news story. We’re saving some inexperienced house. We’re growing the capability of our area people well being centre by threefold and we’re additionally bringing psychological well being into our neighborhood,” Makayev mentioned.
“[The healing centre] additionally helps recruit medical doctors and retain medical doctors. When different communities’ well being centres are closing we’re preventing exhausting to maintain well being care in our neighborhood.”
Groundbreaking for the undertaking is predicted to be held this spring.
Within the meantime, these against the situation are planning a rally subsequent week.
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