When the BC Liberal government announced prior to the May 2017 election it had approved the business case for the expansion of the Eagle Ridge Hospital's emergency department, nowhere in the press conference or press release was there mention that hospital land would have to be sold to pay for it.
Indeed, while acknowledging that Fraser Health was to contribute $22.6 million towards the costs, the press release at the time stated that it was the B.C. government that would be making the record investment for construction that would generate “well-paying, family-supporting jobs."
So it came as a bit of a surprise to us and many members of the public to find out that land needs to be sold to pay for an ER upgrade.
That is not to say the idea is a bad one — taxpayers want governments to utilize resources in the best way possible — but there needs to be more of a public airing about how money realized in any sale of public land will be spent.
Merely upgrading the ER, as important as that is, along with expanding diagnostic cardiology and rehabilitation services, is just a small part of what’s needed at the hospital.
The question then becomes: Would the hospital get as much as it — and the ever-expanding region it serves — needs from a land sale?
Perhaps it’s time Fraser Health shared with the public its long-term vision for ERH and how it will serve a rapidly growing community, and how that will be funded, just like cities and schools have to do when they make public their capital budgets.
It’s not that we are against putting housing on that land; we are not so much anti-development as we are pro-taxpayer, and taxpayers deserve to know that they are getting the best bang for their bucks.
Similarly, Port Moody is looking at redeveloping its works yard and former fire hall lands with the hope of getting needed public amenities. In response to the hue and cry this idea raised, councillors agreed to take a step back and put the matter to referendum this fall.
We don’t expect Fraser Health to hold a referendum but we would like to see a more thoughtful, clear and transparent analysis of the future of this important public asset and how it will be utilized to ensure the long-term needs of Eagle Ridge Hospital and the Tri-Cities are met.
