The City of Weyburn might be forgiven if they start to get the feeling of being “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”, and the latest announcement about health care facilities will only bolster that feeling.
A big announcement came down on Friday that Prince Albert will be getting a $300 million project for their Victoria hospital, including renovations and new construction, and just to rub salt in the wound, the provincial government will pay for 100 per cent of the costs.
Exactly one week before, Premier Scott Moe paid a visit to Weyburn and Estevan. He handed out a $10 million cheque in Estevan, and then came up to Weyburn to have a tour of the new school and recreation-culture centre that’s under construction.
In a scrum with media here, he wanted to assure the residents of Weyburn that a new hospital will be built here, and he reiterated this two or three times.
So imagine, after being told we should wait for the budget to come down on March 18, how impressed people here are to be told that PA is getting their project first, and that the government is paying the whole shot?
Here, where this city has been asking for a new hospital for many years, the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation has been raising money for the community’s portion of the cost of building a new hospital, we are still waiting.
Not only has the Foundation raised money for the hospital building, but they are continuing to raise funds for the equipment and furniture to go into that new hospital. We have had no promises of full payment of costs from the government, and have made the effort, as a community, to pay our share of the costs.
There are suggestions that there may even be an early election call for Saskatchewan, ahead of the set date of October, and the premier’s visit only fed that rumour more.
All eyes will be on the provincial budget for sure, and with an election on the horizon (whether this spring or in October), chances are there will be some dollars being handed out. Will any of those dollars go towards the promised hospital for Weyburn?
Or is the government going to say Weyburn is already a little spoiled with a new super-school for elementary grades and a community recreation-culture centre being constructed?
This project has nothing to do with the need for a hospital, which even two decades ago was voiced here. The state of the 1952-built general hospital is such that Weyburn residents need to have a good health care facility put in place. Let’s hope it’s going to come soon!
