Letter from Fiona Dalton, CEO, Providence Health Care

June 14, 2021

Dear Residents:

I want to reach out to everyone who lives or works near the site of the new St. Paul’s Hospital, in order to introduce myself as the President and CEO of St. Paul’s Hospital/Providence Health Care, and to say thank you in advance for your patience, understanding and support as we build a new St. Paul’s Hospital in your neighbourhood.

In its current location in the West End, St. Paul’s Hospital has been caring for British Columbians for over 125 years. We intend to build on that legacy of compassionate care and innovation for the next century and beyond. Moving to a new neighbourhood is as exciting as it is challenging. We want to be a good neighbour to you, not only during construction but also after our hospital is open and for the next 125 years.

During construction, which has already begun and will last until 2026, there will likely be disruptions to you, including increased traffic, noise, and many more workers in your neighbourhood. We truly empathize with this disruption, and our commitment to you is to ensure that we communicate and engage with you transparently and for mutual benefit, answering questions, providing updated information and addressing issues.

Our Design Build partner, PCL, has committed to do its best to minimize any potential disruptions and ensure its workers follow all of the rules. We will also send out regular Construction Updates, letting residents and neighbours know what to expect and when. You can sign up for updates on the new St. Paul’s Hospital website.

We also understand and empathize with residents who have been working for years to calm Prior Street. As soon as the City of Vancouver finalizes the routes, we will notify you.

Part of being a good neighbour is hiring within the community. As per City of Vancouver policy, PCL has selected Buy Social Canada to ensure that they try to achieve their targets. As well, PCL will try to ensure that all goods and services purchased during construction are local, and materials and goods purchased for construction will be from certified social impact and/or equity-seeking businesses. Providence Health Care will honour the City’s Community Benefits Agreement after the hospital opens and for the life span of the building.

Our doors are always open. If you have a question or concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is working to build respectful, trusting relationships within the community and surrounding neighbourhoods. If you would like our team to have regular contact with you, or visit your organization to share regular updates, you can reach our community engagement team at thenewstpauls@providencehealth.bc.ca. And if you have a question about construction activities, you can contact PCL at 604-335-2669.

Thank you, again, for your patience and understanding while we work to build a much-needed new St. Paul’s Hospital. Our bold vision for the new St. Paul’s Hospital and health campus is to lead in the delivery of BC’s new model for health care by providing patients with the highest quality, integrated, compassionate and patient-centred care, where and when they need it most. We can’t wait to show it to you.

With best wishes,

Fiona Dalton
President & CEO