Premier Brad Wall saw for himself the state of affairs at aging Saskatchewan Hospital Thursday.
"There's no substitute to seeing things first hand," Wall said of the tour, which he called a "compelling presentation."
Premier Wall stopped short, however, of making any sort of announcement committing funding for a replacement to Saskatchewan Hospital, the province's only forensic psychiatric hospital. He hinted, however, a decision may be coming soon on whether funding will be advanced this year to begin replacing the 100-year-old hospital.
The 2011 provincial budget had not set aside any specific funds for a new Saskatchewan Hospital project. Despite that, Wall told reporters this wouldn't be an obstacle to possibly finding money in this calendar year to at least move the project forward.
"That's not to say that some adjustments can't be made to at least advance the next phase of the project, which is the detailed planning," said Wall.
Prairie North Health Region has long pointed to the detailed planning phase as being the final step before tenders were awarded and construction commenced.
Detailed planning would require considerable funding in its own right, Wall said, with the hiring of professionals and with more input being required.
Wall said decisions on how to proceed next on Saskatchewan Hospital would be considered in the coming weeks. He noted every decision would have to be made in the context of the overall budget for the province, citing the need to maintain a balanced budget.
Wall also said that once a new facility gets the go ahead it must be part of a "plan for better mental health care" that is province-wide and not simply be about building one facility.
Pressure for replacement for the current hospital built in 1911 has been applied by PNHR for the last number of years and had been promised by the previous NDP government in 2006.
But plans have not advanced far beyond the initial design phase and a re-scoping of the project done last year. The latest revised proposal from the health region calls for a new hospital to be built in North Battleford with 188 beds.
"There's a pretty clear case here for replacement. That project would not be an inexpensive one, but here we're talking about some pretty important jobs that get done," said Wall.
He also said patients at the hospital deserve "a good place, a good facility."
Wall said both Herb Cox, the Saskatchewan candidate in the Battlefords, and Don McMorris, the health minister, urged him to tour the facility and to seriously consider the replacement option. Seeing the facility made a difference, he said.
"It's one thing to read a briefing note or hear from Herb (Cox) or Don McMorris, the minister. It's another thing to meet with the team of people that care for so many people here at the facility, which is 100 years old," said Wall.
The tour at Saskatchewan Hospital lasted over an hour Thursday afternoon and included a number of hospital officials as well as other guests. Health region CEO David Fan and Mayor Ian Hamilton were among those who took part. The group was also scheduled to look at the location where a new facility would be built.
Wall said the tour highlighted the need at the current facility.
"It's hard to escape the age of the building," Wall said.
On the one hand, the hospital had an attractive and "formidable" look for those driving up to it from the outside, but inside the building clearly shows its age, Wall noted.
"We know about some of the structural failings of late, where it's literally falling away, from staff that need to know that this structure is safe and sound. And we saw some things up front that indicate that it just obviously needs some attention," the premier said.
The hospital tour was just one part of a busy day for the premier in the Battlefords. Education was a main part of the agenda for the day, with Wall visiting Connaught School in North Battleford.
He closed the day with another education-related event in North Battleford: the induction ceremony for the Students Hall of Fame at Living Sky School Division.
The visit to Connaught School was in response to the government's commitment to providing funding for new playground equipment at the school from the Community Initiatives Fund's Community Vitality Program.
The school also raised money for the project through a family and staff fundraising program, and Living Sky School Division also contributed funds.
Wall took a tour of the school fand then joined an assembly outside near the school playground area. There, Connaught School students sang the school song for him - something Premier Wall thinks hasn't happened to him "anywhere in three-and-a-half years on this job".
Afterwards, the students took off to use the playground equipment on the school grounds. The new playground equipment and swings were installed in May. Overall, the Premier was impressed with what he had seen at the school.
"There's an energy there, and that was true of every teacher we talked to," said Wall.
