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Snag with Sask Hospital construction: insulation to be removed

There has been a snag in the construction of the new Saskatchewan Hospital - North Battleford.
Saskatchewan Hospital 60 per cent

There has been a snag in the construction of the new Saskatchewan Hospital - North Battleford.

An issue with the material used for insulation at the new facility has been identified and will be addressed over the coming weeks, with the defective insulation material being removed and new insulation put in. 

Lisa Danyluk, director of strategy and engagement for SaskBuilds, confirmed the details with the News-Optimist on Monday.

According to Danyluk, the problem turned up through what is described as a “rigorous quality-control regime on site” by Access Prairie Partnerships, the consortium in charge of the project.  

“They have identified a manufacturing deficiency with the insulation used in the construction of SHNB,” said Danyluk.

Over the next short while, work will be happening on site to replace that defective insulation, said Danyluk.

“What folks might see is some scaffolding going up, and then the masonry and exterior cladding on the outside of the building is going to be coming down,” she said.

However, the interior work on the structure will keep going throughout this process.

What Danyluk is careful to point out is that it is the private entity Access Prairies Partnership, not the provincial government, that is footing the bill.

“The risk of something like this and any costs associated with that risk, actually belongs to the private sector and not to government,” said Danyluk.

According to SaskBuilds, Access Prairies Partnership will be responsible for the costs associated with replacing the insulation and putting the exterior cladding and brickwork back up.  

As well, they are still contractually bound under their agreement with the province to deliver the finished hospital on time and on budget. SaskBuilds says that Access Prairies Partnership is making every effort to minimize the impact of the insulation issue.

“They’re going to be working hard to minimize any impacts,” said Danyluk. “The fact that the interior work is continuing speaks to that front.”

A June 2018 completion date is still targeted for the project, which officially began construction with a sod-turning in September of 2015.

In May of this year, an event was held at the new Sask. Hospital in which it was announced construction was 60 percent complete on the project. The P3 contract with Access Prairies Partnership for Saskatchewan Hospital - North Battleford is valued at $407 million.