Latest news with #HalifaxInfirmary
CBC
17-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Nova Scotia summers are getting hotter. Is Halifax prepared?
Social Sharing Amid a provincewide heat warning, a Halifax emergency room doctor is speaking out about the severity of heat-related illnesses. Daytime temperatures are expected to reach a maximum of 28 C to 32 C in Nova Scotia on Thursday, but cooler temperatures are expected along the coast. "Take action to protect yourself and others – extreme heat can affect everyone's health," the Environment Canada warning notes. "Determine if you or others around you are at greater risk of heat illness." According to studies by the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada will see four times more days with temperatures exceeding 30 C by 2050. Dr. Matthew Clarke, an emergency room doctor at the Halifax Infirmary, said seniors, children and immunocompromised individuals are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. He said socioeconomic factors can also put people at risk, like being homeless. "When it comes to warmth, we don't always think of it as being a risk factor in the same way [as the cold], but it certainly is," said Clarke. On Tuesday, the Halifax Regional Municipality posted advice on its Facebook page for residents trying to stay cool. It suggested staying indoors, remaining hydrated and turning on fans or air conditioning. For those without access to a cool space, the city recommended going to a public library. Clarke said while it's important for individuals to drink water and stay inside, he thinks a larger, systemic approach is needed when considering the warming climate. Two years ago, a city staff report laid out some of the preliminary steps needed to prepare for and respond to heat waves. A 2021 heat dome in B.C. led to more than 600 deaths. Most of the B.C. deaths happened indoors in homes without cooling systems. According to the Nova Scotia government, as of 2021, only 41 per cent of Halifax homes had air conditioning. Staff report recommendations The city's 2023 staff report recommended setting up cooling stations as a response to extreme heat events. These air-conditioned spaces could be placed in municipally owned buildings or shopping malls. As well, the report said the municipality should take steps to create greater awareness of the cooling centres and check in with vulnerable residents during instances of extreme heat. Some of the other recommendations were for the municipality to: Offer free transit to cool spaces. Provide mobile cooling centres to seniors' homes and other at-risk locations. Set up pop-up outdoor shading and cooling like tents, fans or misting stations. Create a webpage that points residents to a cool space near them, similar to Toronto's "Cool Spaces Near You" page. Despite the recommendations, the city said in a statement that "many measures remain in preliminary or planning stages." Studies show that emergency departments visits and death rates increase in Canada following a heat wave. Emergency room visits When compiling data on things like death rates and emergency room visits, Nova Scotia Public Health said it does not track weather conditions. Last year, the department said there were 43 heat-related emergency visits in the province. These visits include health issues like heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Public Health said this figure only includes events where heat was the obvious cause. It does not include emergencies where heat may have been a factor. Clarke said heat often exacerbates other health issues. "People who feel more non-specific symptoms of feeling more weak, more tired, headache, nausea, things like that, heat is certainly a significant contributing factor, but it's a little bit more difficult to pin down that it must have been related," he said.
CBC
11-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Contingencies in place to deal with possible tariff impacts on Halifax Infirmary project
Officials overseeing the redevelopment of the Halifax Infirmary say tariffs could have an impact on the massive project, but it's not a given the levies would drive up the overall $4.5-billion construction cost. "The first default isn't more money," David Benoit, CEO of Build Nova Scotia, told reporters Wednesday at Province House. "The first default is how do you solve the problem." Benoit and other officials were appearing before the legislature's public accounts committee to discuss the project and a related 2020 auditor general's report. He told reporters that responding to issues beyond people's control, such as tariffs, would depend on what is affected. If it's steel, for example, it would mean trying to source the material from somewhere else. In other cases, it could mean making changes to another part of the project so cost overruns in one area are offset by savings in another. Benoit said the builder, Plenary PCL Health, is motivated to find solutions because "they're on the hook for cost overruns." John Volcko, PCL Construction's vice-president of national operations, told reporters the company learned from experience during the COVID-19 pandemic about how to account for price escalation and volatility in uncertain times. "Within our bid, we've got certain allowances, certain contingencies to deal with unexpected things like that," he said. The contract for the work, which will include a new emergency department, intensive care unit and 14-storey acute care tower, was finalized earlier this year. It also includes a 30-year, $2.9-billion contract to operate and maintain the site. Since the project was announced in 2022, government officials have promised that a value-for-money study that helped guide the approach would be made public once a contract was signed. The project is being done as a public-private partnership. Benoit said officials with Build Nova Scotia are doing a final review of the study and he expects it to be released in the coming days. But he stopped short of committing to release the initial draft of that work, which was used to inform the plan announced by Premier Tim Houston in late 2022. Benoit said the two drafts preceding the final study were based on assumptions related to the construction project. Now that a final report is available, he questioned the usefulness of the drafts. "What's important is what was the actual value," he said. Housing for workers Work is well underway at the site and Volcko said there will be up to 1,000 people involved at the peak of the project. The plan is for at least two-thirds of the workforce to come from Nova Scotia. The company has made arrangements to house workers from outside the area by contracting the Atlantica Hotel across the street from the construction site, said Volcko. Some workers are already in the hotel and the plan is to eventually take over all 238 rooms. Although there will be a need for even more accommodations at some point, Volcko said how much space and where has yet to be determined because it's unclear how many outside workers will be required. "Our first objective is to employ local talent, local skilled labour," he said. "If our peak is in three years, you know we've got some time to build a workforce." Project oversight and management Plenary is the subject of a lawsuit in Ontario where Humber River Health alleges a hospital that opened in Toronto in 2015 has some floors that are either not level or flat or are beginning to deteriorate. Speaking to the project in Halifax, Benoit said the provincial government has "extreme confidence" in the builder to get the job done. One of the things working in the project's favour here is that design work was 50 per cent complete before work started, which is higher than the typical 30 per cent for similar projects, he said. Design work is now 75 per cent complete. "We already have an increased level of confidence that we've got the right structure, the right scope, the right products, all that kind of stuff built into the contract," said Benoit.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Blasting complete at QEII Halifax Infirmary construction site, next phase underway
A mobile crane is used to build a tower crane at the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre on May 12. (Source: Build Nova Scotia) Blasting has been completed at the QEII Halifax Infirmary construction site. The Nova Scotia government says preparation for the new acute care tower on Bell Road will now move to the next phase – mechanically breaking rock that is too close to the existing hospital for safe blasting. The province says the work will take place through the summer. Breaking rock located close to the hospital will not start until 3 p.m. The province says the work is scheduled later in the day to limit the impact on daytime clinical operations. Rock breaking farther from the hospital is scheduled to happen between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. This week, work is scheduled between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sarting Monday, it will take place from 3 p.m. to midnight. The province says the new acute care tower will include: 216 beds 16 operating rooms a 48-bed intensive care unit an emergency department nearly twice the size of the current one a satellite diagnostic imaging department in the emergency department new and upgraded lab spaces additional treatment spaces For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
N.S. health minister admits ‘growing pains' with new free parking policy at hospitals
HALIFAX - The health authority in Nova Scotia says it is seeking the power to issue $500 tickets to unauthorized vehicles that take advantage of free parking at hospitals. Nova Scotia Health emailed Halifax-area hospital staff today to say it is working to preserve spaces for patients, visitors, and authorized staff. The message comes a day after Health Minister Michelle Thompson acknowledged 'growing pains' as hospitals adjust to the province's new free parking policy that took effect May 1. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The health authority says that until it can ticket drivers it will issue warnings to unauthorized vehicles, and offer 175 additional free on-site parking spaces to staff at the Halifax Infirmary and Victoria General Hospital. Unions at both hospitals and the IWK Health Centre have voiced concern about a lack of spots when employees show up for work. The health authority says the Halifax Infirmary and Victoria General hospital together need almost 4,000 more parking spaces than are currently available to meet peak demand. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
One case of measles confirmed in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Public Health officials are confirming one case of measles in the Halifax area. It's the first case of measles confirmed in the province so far this year. It involves an adult who was exposed to measles while travelling to the United States. "They have received care and are recovering at home," public health said in a news release. People who were at the following locations, on the dates and times specified, may have been exposed to measles and should watch for symptoms: Courtyard by Marriott Halifax Downtown, Lobby (5120 Salter St., Halifax) on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Banh Mi A & B (6172 Quinpool Rd, Halifax) on Saturday, April 26 from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Marquee Ballroom/Seahorse Tavern/The Local Restaurant and Bar (2037 Gottingen St., Halifax) on Saturday, April 26 from 10:30 p.m. to Sunday, April 27 at 2:30 a.m. Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department (1840 Bell Rd., Halifax) on Sunday, May 4 from 8:30 p.m. – 11:15 p.m. It is important to note that anyone who may have been at the Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department during these times and is pregnant, immunocompromised, or under the age of 12 months old should contact Public Health immediately at 902-481-1697.
