Opposition accuses UCP of 'dragging their feet' on building south Edmonton hospital
CTV
The Official Opposition slammed the province for not prioritizing the south Edmonton hospital first promised under the NDP government in 2017.
The Official Opposition slammed the province for not prioritizing the south Edmonton hospital first promised under the NDP government in 2017.
Then-premier Rachel Notley pledged the facility would be located on a 320-acre site near Ellerslie Road and 127 Street SW and open in 2026.
Rod Loyola, the infrastructure critic, hosted a media availability Saturday and said the UCP-led government is "dragging their feet" on building the needed hospital.
"Four years of the UCP, two premiers, two health ministers and three infrastructure ministers and absolutely zero progress on the south Edmonton hospital," Loyola said.
The last hospital built in Edmonton was the Grey Nuns, which opened in 1988.
According to the province, "preliminary planning" is underway for the project, with "site preparation work" initiated in the summer of 2021.
In the latest budget, the province allocated $634 million over the next three years to start building the new hospital. Thirty-four million dollars is estimated to be spent in 2023-24.