Construction on Calgary Cancer Centre concludes, will accept patients in 2024
With construction on the Calgary Cancer Centre now complete, the provincial government has handed over control of the facility to Alberta Health Services (AHS).
Infrastructure Minister Nathan Neudorf and Health Minister Jason Copping made the announcement on Friday at the $1.4-billion facility, which sits next to the Foothills Medical Centre.
It's now up to AHS to fill the centre's empty spaces with equipment and get the building ready to accept patients in 2024.
"Nearly half of Albertans will deal with a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and that's why the Calgary Cancer Centre is so needed and so important," Copping said.
The 13-level building will feature outpatient clinics, 160 inpatient beds, wet and dry research labs, a clinical trials unit, 15 radiation treatment vaults and 1,650 stalls of underground parking.
"The centre was designed to encompass the whole continuum of cancer care -- from prevention, screening and early detection to research and collaboration, treatment development and clinical trials, to patient care and to education," Copping said.
It'll take in patients across the province.
"We are going to be an internationally-recognized cancer spot," said Dr. Dan Morris with AHS. "We will have a central referral area to serve all of Alberta."
The centre -- which is 187,000 square metres large -- was built with intake in mind.
Morris says the idea is to accommodate patients in the far future.
"When we moved in to the renovated Tom Baker Cancer Centre in 1999, we outstripped its space in about three or four years," he said. "So this has been a vision long-standing."
Copping acknowledged that AHS will need to attract workers to staff the centre, but wouldn't say how many.
Copping said he believes recruitment will play a massive role and is confident the building itself -- and all of its state-of-the-art equipment -- will help bring in workers.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.