The Town of Creighton has made a six-figure financial commitment to the new Flin Flon ER.
Last Friday, Oct. 30, Mayor Bruce Fidler presented a $100,000 cheque to the Northern Health Foundation, the primary fundraising body for the ER redevelopment project.
“We’ve been discussing it for a while,” explained Fidler, adding that council took time to identify the appropriate amount to contribute.
The three recipients of the cheque were Lois Moberly, the Northern Health Region’s executive director of clinical services for Flin Flon and area, Joy Tetlock, vice-president of planning and innovation, and Brent Lethbridge, chairman of the board of directors for the Northern Health Foundation. The three were visibly, and happily, surprised by the size of the donation.
“I am floored,” said Tetlock.
“Our gratitude is beyond words,” added Lethbridge, who noted that donations have “really ramped up” since Bollywood, the major fundraising event hosted by the NHR in September.
To date, $600,000 must still be raised to meet the Manitoba government’s community contribution requirement for the ER project, which is $2.2 million, or ten per cent of the estimated project cost.
In an interview with The Reminder in June 2015, Tetlock explained that if the $2.2. million tab is not met by the time a tender is awarded for construction, the community will be on the hook for twice as much – $4.4. million – according to Manitoba Health policy.
On Friday, Tetlock noted that the project organizers aim to go to tender at the end of November.
Twyla Storey, NHR communications coordinator, said that the estimated date for “shovels in the ground” is January or February 2016, but the NHR is not concerned about the community’s tab doubling.
“We are very encouraged by the response from our communities…in helping raising more than 2/3 of the amount required,” Storey said in an email. “Given this positive response, we and Manitoba Health are confident that the 1/3 remaining of the contribution will be raised during the course of the construction.”
