Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard was named Municipal Affairs Minister in August. Photo supplied by the Government of Alberta.

By Curtis Galbraith

Provincial Politics

Pandemic means a longer commissioning process for the new hospital says Allard

Oct 2, 2020 | 6:30 AM

Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard says she has been getting a lot of questions about Highway 40, the new hospital, the economy, kids going back to school, and COVID-19.

She says the pandemic has meant some delays at the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.

“Just in getting equipment to the hospital, there are some different quarantine protocols with stuff crossing the border from the States for example. Alberta Health Services has to commission all the systems.”

She adds an opening date is not known at this time.

“So, before the pandemic, a typical commissioning would be six to nine months. That’s just typical. I’m private sector, so I want it faster, faster, faster but I can’t promise that. Now with the pandemic, they said 12 months.”

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The government turned the hospital over to Alberta Health Services in June. Allard says she would like it open before next June, but safety and efficiency are more important than speed.

Allard says she is glad to see the twinning of Highway 40, adding she is glad that the project is happening. She does not have a progress update at this time.

She is also praising local people for their work in getting kids back to school.

“I am so grateful for our teachers and for our school boards and the leaders in our community and our parents who are trusting us to manage the pandemic as well as we have. (It’s) not perfect, but I tell my constituents all the time, there is no perfect way to deal with an imperfect reality. I’m just really grateful for the Grande Prairie residents because as a community, I think we’ve done exceptionally well.”

Allard says even though she is in cabinet, she is a local MLA first.

“My first instruction to my ministry office and reinforcement with my constituency office is constituent needs come first. Of course, it is an incredible honour to serve as a cabinet minister, but if I’ve learned anything in the last year-and-a-half, I’ve learned that there is always more work than time, and so we have to prioritize and triage. I never want my constituents to prioritized out of order, they have to come first.”

Allard was named Municipal Affairs Minister August 25.