Leader staff
Construction of a new ambulance station in Slave Lake continues; not as quickly as some people think it should, but progress is being made.
Alberta Health Services recently provided The Leader with the following update:
“Construction on the Slave Lake EMS station project is underway. Demolition is complete, work to enclose the new building is almost done (this was later revised to say ‘by late August/early September) and interior construction will begin soon.
“The EMS station was expected to be completed this summer, but like many construction projects the timelines have been revised due to supply chain issues, impacts of recent wildfires and some increase in project scope.
“The EMS station project is now expected to be completed in spring 2024.
The new ambulance station is needed to accommodate the current number of staff and ambulances and help in the delivery of care in the area. The new facility will better support staff so they can provide the best possible service in the community, says the email from AHS.
“The construction budget for the Slave Lake EMS project is expected to be around $6.8 million. Some funding for the project will come from the Government of Alberta’s Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program (RHFRP), a $50 million commitment to help Alberta Health Services complete infrastructure projects at rural sites across the province.”
The new EMS building started life as a shop and offices for an oilfield services company. In 1991, D’Lanne Electro Controls was upstairs and a car wash occupied the lower part of the building. That’s when the Town of Slave Lake took it over and turned it into a fire hall. When the M.D. and town combined fire services, it became Hall#1 of the Lesser Slave Lake Regional Fire Service.
Six years ago or so, it became available when Hall #1 moved down the road to its present location. AHS used the building as a COVID-19 testing site during the pandemic.
The cost of buying and outfitting the new facility was initially estimated to be $4.7 million.
