North Shore residents are one-step closer to a new $62.2-million acute mental health facility with construction now underway on the Greta & Robert H.N. Ho Centre for Psychiatry and Education (HOpe Centre) at Lions Gate Hospital.

Vancouver Coastal Health issued an Invitation to Bid in August 2012 for general contractors and Surrey-based Lark Projects Ltd has been awarded the construction contract for the new facility.

The state-of-the-art treatment facility will help people struggling with mental health and substance use challenges. The HOpe Centre will provide seamlessly integrated services for clients who require hospital care, outpatient services, or both.

The facility is a designated facility under the provincial Mental Health Act and will include a 26-bed inpatient psychiatric unit and provide enough space to enable consolidation of multiple community-based mental health and substance use outpatient services into one central location. The new HOpe Centre will also contain space for the expansion of the UBC medical school and provide a permanent home for BC Ambulance on the North Shore.

The project was first announced in September 2010. The B.C. government, through Vancouver Coastal Health, has supported the HOpe Centre with a $38.2 million financial contribution. The Lions Gate Hospital Foundation has raised another $24 million for the project, with $10 million of this amount being generously donated by Greta and Robert Ho, after whom the new centre is named.

The City of North Vancouver is also a project partner, having donated a portion of city-owned land that enlarged the project site.

Construction on the HOpe Centre is expected to be complete in December 2013 and open for patients in early 2014.

Quotes:

North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA, Naomi Yamamoto on behalf of Health Minister Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid -

"The start of construction is an important HOpe Centre milestone. The HOpe Centre is a facility which will benefit the North Shore for years to come by modernizing patient care and the education of mental health professionals. The new centre replaces an outdated building and will concentrate essential mental health services in a single location, making care much more convenient for patients and families."

North Vancouver-Seymour MLA, Jane Thornthwaite -

"It is great news for North Shore families that we continue to move forward with this state-of-the-art facility, which will not only benefit mental health patients, but will also house a dedicated, permanent home for ambulance services to support families in this region."

West Vancouver-Capilano MLA, Ralph Sultan -

"This facility has been championed by the North Shore MLAs and local community from the outset, so the start of construction is wonderful news. The North Shore is a growing region and not only will families benefit from the improved mental health facilities, but the HOpe Centre will house teaching space for medical school students and residents, helping to support the next generation of doctors."

West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA, Joan McIntyre -

"The HOpe Centre reflects our government's commitment to providing the best supports for people facing challenges associated with mental illness and substance use. This new facility will provide a variety of comprehensive mental health services all under one roof, which should better serve the community."

Clark Quintin, chair, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation -

"Lions Gate Hospital Foundation is pleased to have played a pivotal role in bringing The HOpe Centre to fruition. This would not have been possible without the exceptional support provided by more than 5,000 individuals and organizations."

Wendy Hansson, chief operating officer, VCH-Coastal -

"This new facility will make a vital difference in the lives of people struggling with mental health challenges. It will have a positive impact on patients, families, staff and physicians on the North Shore and in the communities we serve throughout Coastal - the Sea to Sky corridor, the Sunshine Coast, Powell River and the Central Coast."

Quick facts:

• The HOpe Centre will be centrally located on the Lions Gate Hospital campus at the corner of East 13th Street and St. Andrews Avenue.

• It will replace current inpatient psychiatric services housed within the old 1929 Lions Gate Hospital Activation building.

• Vancouver Coastal Health is responsible for the delivery of $3 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.

Media Contacts:

Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

Trudi Beutel
Public Affairs Officer
Vancouver Coastal Health
604 708-5282
604 812-1847 (cell)