Construction begins on new Community Care Health Centre
Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes (CCCKL) broke ground on its new Community Health Centre (CHC) construction project. The building, across from the Ross Memorial Hospital at 21 Angeline St. N., will be home to the organization’s new CHC, including all its primary health care services, a dental clinic with three operatories, and office space for clinical and some administrative staff.
“Today we’ve taken a step forward not only as Community Care, but as a community,” said Michael Anderson, chair of Community Care’s board of directors. “It’s a step toward health equity, quality care for those who need it, and toward fulfilling our mission of building healthy communities through care and support.”
Ontario’s Ministry of Health provided $14 million in capital funding toward the new building including purchase of the land, demolition of the old OPP building that previously stood on the site, and construction. Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, has strongly championed the project, according to a media release, and was on-site today to mark the occasion.
“Community Care is a vital part of this community, and we’re so pleased to be part of making this dream a reality,” said Scott. Mayor Andy Letham and Kawartha Lakes councillors have also provided key support to enable the project.
Construction of the 16,000 square foot building is expected to take 13 months, with occupancy expected in the spring of 2023. Lett Architects Inc. of Peterborough designed the building, and Chart Construction Company of Woodbridge is the builder.
The planning process for the new building began over a decade ago and has been guided by CCCKL’s board and leadership teams, past and present, and the CCCKL Building Committee, chaired by Glenn Wilcox, principal of Lindsay-based Wilcox Architects Incorporated. The new CHC means that for the first time in its 36-year history, CCCKL will have its own, purpose-built building dedicated to providing quality primary and dental care for clients.
Opportunity knocks. Wouldn’t it be great if the new building also broke some new ground in terms of its design, construction, and future operating costs? Will its construction be a showcase for carbon sequestration and sustainable material sourcing? or will it be business as usual steel and massive-CO2-footprint concrete as usual? Will it be south-oriented, with passive solar gain, and truly energy-retaining walls and windows? or will it be a business as usual leaky R20 sieve that incurs typically crushing ongoing energy heating and cooling costs? I can’t seem to find any information one way or the other, but I sincerely hope that the designers and planners have thought a bit outside of the standard 2×4 framed box and paid a bit of attention to the notion of sustainability, embodied CO2, and future-cost accounting in their project. The teacher’s union building behind the mall is entirely heated by something equivalent to two toasters, I believe. How much will this new building cost to heat and cool over its lifetime? Will it be a solution to our climate crisis – or another contribution to it? Let’s hope for the best.
It would of been a perfect spot for more a multi-storey building incorporating low rental housing above and Community Care Health Centre below .