Construction of a new cancer centre in Calgary was supposed to begin on Wednesday this week, but thanks to the poor economy, those plans may be on hold.
The centre, pegged at a cost of $1.3B, is much needed for the Calgary area, and patients who need it say they don’t want plans to be scrapped just because of poor economic times.
Nevertheless, Prentice and Health Minister Stephen Mandel are speculating on whether or not the money being earmarked for the facility will be money well spent.
Mandel says there will be a new cancer centre as promised, but it’s unclear on when or where it will be built.
Originally, the plan was to build it at Foothils Medical Centre to relieve the strain on the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. That location was chosen because it was very central and patients could meet there instead of being bounced to numerous other areas.
Now that plans are no longer set in stone, many supporters are concerned.
“If this is just a delay, we understand that, but a delay means they are going to build the same project as promised on the Foothills site as a comprehensive cancer centre,” says John Osler of the Alberta Cancer Foundation. “Our fear is not delay. Our fear is that this is going back to the drawing board and going to be something very different than what was important.”
Advocates for the cancer centre project will be holding a rally at the McDougall Centre at noon on Wednesday. They are hoping that will send a message to the government that this project just can’t wait.
