The community gathered yesterday to celebrate the region-wide effort that went in to building the North Island Hospital Campbell River Campus at the official grand opening of the facility.
North Island MLA Claire Trevena and Health Minister Adrian Dix officially opened the facility yesterday, acknowledging the many community leaders, members of the public and both construction and hospital staff that continue to make the new hospital a state of the art facility.
“I think that this is an important day, because hospitals, of course, are places where children are born… and where people get well, and sometimes there are most difficult moments,” Dix said. “They are important places in communities and I am so proud that we made the decision as a province and as communities that we made the decision to have a hospital in Campbell River and a hospital in Comox.”
Though acknowledging the hard work of everyone in the community, Dix presented Ed and Lois Jarvis with a letter from Premier John Horgan thanking them for their work with Citizens for Quality Health Care.
“Your efforts, and the efforts of others from Citizen Quality Health Care, were key to ensuring that Campbell River continues to have access to acute care,” Dix read. “Your leadership was instrumental to bringing people together to rally for the health care services your community deserves.”
Another special guest in attendance was Karissa Mills, mother of Elena-the first baby born in the new hospital.
“Our community is very lucky to have such a wonderful, new, clean, spacious facility that helps provide us with the care we need while giving us peace of mind at the same time,” she said.
Six elementary students whose art will be displayed in the hospital were also introduced.