After receiving a letter from Northern Health stating the new CT Scanner might not happen with the required infrastructure updates, Town Council unanimously voted to reverse their decision.
Residents lined up out the door at the council meeting to express their concerns and applauded when the council said they would grant Northern Health’s variance.
“We certainly heard loud and clear from the community the CT scanner was a high priority and we as council share that priority at the same time we are entrusted with trying to find ways to update the town’s infrastructure over time,” said Mayor Taylor Bachrach.
At the previous council meeting, Northern Health’s request to be exempt from the town required infrastructure updates for their new CT Scan renovations was denied.
The previous decision meant they would have to pay part of the updates estimated at $131,000 towards storm drains and curbs around the hospital if they wanted to complete the project.
The decision received a lot of backlash from the community after Northern Health said the required updates could put the decision in jeopardy or force a delay of almost two years.
The $970,000 project is now able to move forward without the extra costs or delays.
The CT scanner will provide a vital service to the town with approximately 4000 people having to travel hours out of Smithers every year to access scanners in Prince George and Terrace.
The bylaw which requires all projects valued at over $100, 000 to complete off-site work such as adding in sidewalks, storm-drains and curbs has been the subject of controversy in the past.
Previous projects like the Child Development Center which also relied on donations have had to comply with the bylaw, receiving partial variances.
“We were looking for a win-win solution, something that would work both for Northern Health and the Town’s bylaw. In the end, Northern Health was not willing to budge so council decided getting the CT Scanner back on track was more important,” said Bachrach.