The provincial budget was delivered on Wednesday, March 22, and while it was full of dollar figures and promises, it contained one note of special interest for the Town of Rosthern.
Part of the 2023-24 budget was an investment of $337.6 million in health capital. Included in that total is $2.6 million in new planning funding, which includes Rosthern’s hospital.
“Not quite elation, but very pleased,” Mayor of Rosthern Dennis Helmuth said. “It’s been a long road. We’ve been working on this for 12, 13 years, so to get a budget line indicating planning will be underway shortly, of course we’re very excited to hear that. It excites us and our regional neighbors.”
Years of fundraising efforts within the community are starting to show results, but Helmuth stressed this is only the first step in a long road still left to traverse. Still, the first step being taken is cause for some optimism.
“They estimate it can be up to two years of the planning process, so patience is still very much in order,” Helmuth said. “The planning process largely pertains to what SHA wants to do in terms of a new building, services they will be interested in having at that centre. That whole planning process is largely outside of our expertise, but to the extent we need to be involved in that we definitely will be.”
Whatever the new facilities prove to be, however, it will be a boost not only for Rosthern but for the surrounding communities as well, many of whom use Rosthern’s hospital.
“It will be a continuation of a long history of having a hospital in town, and with more services as per the preference of SHA,” Helmuth said. “It has a huge financial impact to our community in terms of the number of people employed in the healthcare world. We suspect that number will only increase with a new facility.”
Helmuth expects local physicians will help determine what the new facility will eventually do, though the ultimate say rests with the SHA. In the meantime, they’re already starting to look ahead to what an influx of people might mean for the community.
“We’re very optimistic in terms of some infrastructure changes on the horizon,” Helmuth said, “and also some conversations with residential developers. There’s quite a bit of momentum in terms of accommodating an increase in community services. We will be very busy as the hospital is being planned.”
The $2.6 million in planning funding will also be used for the Battleford and District Care Centre, and an integrated facility in Esterhazy.
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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP
