Partners sought for new Dawson Creek hospital cafe as project moves closer to completion

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The exterior envelope of the new Dawson Creek and District Hospital is coming along well and paving work for the facility is expected to wrap up for the year soon, according to Northern Health.

The health authority has issued a new progress update on the construction of the facility, which is currently on track to be open and operational by the spring of 2027.

The new update says interior mudding, taping and drywalling is underway on all levels of the facility, with full rough-ins completed on levels one and two and still under construction for level zero, level three and the mechanical and electrical rooms.

Painting, wall protection and flooring installations are also underway on levels one and two. Meanwhile, outside, Northern Health says the remaining curb, gutter work and paving for the north roadway will be finished in November.

“This will mark the end of paving activities for the year, with final paving and landscaping scheduled to resume this spring,” the update reads. “Work on the exterior envelope will continue through February with cladding progressing throughout the winter months.”

Meanwhile, indoors, finishing work is expected to ramp up going forward and all the drywalling is expected to be finished by the end of 2025.

From there, the focus will shift to making sure the building’s electrical systems are working, with the goal of having the building powered on permanently by the end of the year.

As work continues on the facility — which will be over 50 per cent larger than the city’s current hospital, with 24 additional beds for patients and five new treatment spaces in its emergency department — Northern Health is also looking for assistance operating its cafe space.

The health authority is accepting expressions of interest from contractors interested in selling food and beverages to staff, visitors and the public inside the hospital.

It will be responsible for operating an 800-square-foot cafe that will sell items through what’s described as a “kiosk-style offering,” with food prepared elsewhere and heated on-site.

“Examples of food offerings include coffee, ready-to-eat meals such as soup, sandwiches, salads, tea, et cetera,” the health authority says. “The food offerings shall include a variety of fresh, affordable and healthy food items for a broad range of customer needs.”

Interested applicants can learn more by viewing a document on the hospital’s website. Further updates on the hospital replacement project are also available online.