Queen Victoria Hospital helipad project reaches goal

The Queen Victoria Hospital helipad project has hit its target of $465,000 following recent donations, including a $20,000 donation from BC Hydro last week.

“We are pleased to contribute $20,000 towards this important initiative,” said Richard Brittin, BC Hydro’s Director of Columbia Operations. “The new helipad at the Queen Victoria Hospital will have important safety benefits to our employees and contractors, as well as the entire community.”

It was one of several donations last week.

The Province of B.C. also donated $50,000. The news came in an announcement from transportation and infrastructure minister Todd Stone when he visited Revelstoke.

The North Okanagan/Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District approved a motion to allocate $186,000 from its 2017 budget for the helipad construction. The Regional Hospital District provides capital funding for building new hospitals, major renovations, machinery and equipment purchases in our region.

“The heliport project at the Queen Victoria Hospital is clearly a community priority that will enhance our ability to provide timely critical emergency care for our residents and visitors. I’m very pleased that the NOCSRHD Board recognized this and supported the funding request from the Revelstoke District Health Foundation,” said CSRD Area B representative Loni Parker in a statement.

Columbia Shuswap Regional District Area B Director Loni Parker. Photo: CSRD photo

In a media release, the Revelstoke District Health Foundation thanked Parker for her work in bringing this motion to the board and seeing it passed. They also thanked the North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District board members for understanding the importance of the helipad for emergency health services in the Revelstoke community.

Helipad project organizer Steven Hui said the project has now raised $465,000, and even more if in kind donations are taken into account.

What are the next steps? Interior Health will be hiring a general contractor to get to work on the project.