Nova Scotia reveals plans for $7.4B hospital tower in Halifax

Key Takeaways:

• Nova Scotia has negotiated a $7.4 billion agreement with Plenary PCL Health to construct and maintain a 14-floor acute care tower at the QEII Halifax Infirmary, marking the largest healthcare infrastructure project in Atlantic Canada.
• The new tower, set to be fully operational by fall 2031, will significantly expand healthcare services with 216 additional beds, 16 new operating rooms, a 48-bed ICU, and a larger emergency department, along with state-of-the-art equipment and improved lab spaces.
• The project is part of Nova Scotia’s More, Faster: The Action for Health Build plan, aiming to modernize healthcare facilities to attract and retain medical professionals while improving patient care for future generations.

The Whole Story:

Nova Scotians are another step closer to a new, modern acute care tower at the QEII Halifax Infirmary after the province announced a construction agreement with Plenary PCL Health.

Officials announced the next phase of construction will soon begin, with the government finalizing an agreement with Plenary PCL Health to build the tower. The new tower is expected to be fully complete and open to patients and providers in the fall of 2031.

“This is an exciting milestone for the future of healthcare in our province. This is the largest healthcare infrastructure project ever undertaken in Atlantic Canada,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “It will ensure generations of Nova Scotians get the cutting-edge care they deserve, provide a modern workplace for the dedicated staff at the QEII, and help us attract and hire the healthcare staff we need.”

The Province’s agreement with Plenary PCL Health includes construction of the 14-floor tower and its maintenance over 30 years, beginning at substantial completion in the fall of 2030. The project’s total cost between now and 2061 will be $7.4 billion.

“PCL Construction is excited to move forward with the next stage of the Halifax Infirmary expansion project,” said Paul Knowles, Senior Vice-President and District Manager, PCL Construction. “We remain dedicated to helping the Province build this new healthcare facility designed specifically to meet the needs of Nova Scotians. We’re looking forward to bringing the province’s vision for the project to life.”

Enabling work to prepare the site for construction has been underway since last spring and the project is on schedule. In May, tower cranes will be erected and work on the foundation will begin.

When complete, the new tower will add 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, a 48-bed intensive care unit and an emergency department that is nearly twice the size of the current one. It will also have state-of-the-art equipment, a satellite diagnostic imaging department in the emergency department, new and upgraded lab spaces and additional treatment spaces.

Some health services now delivered at the QEII Victoria General site will move to new and renovated spaces at the Halifax Infirmary site when they open.

The QEII Halifax Infirmary expansion is one element of More, Faster: The Action for Health Build, the government’s comprehensive plan for improving healthcare services for Nova Scotians.

Developing modern healthcare infrastructure will help Nova Scotia become a magnet for health providers, provide the care Nova Scotians need and deserve, and cultivate excellence on the front lines, all of which are solutions under Action for Health.

Quick Facts:

• work completed to date includes:
  • moving the main entrance to Summer Street
  • moving the emergency department driveway and parking to Bell Road
  • building a new, expanded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite
  • demolishing the parkade on Robie Street
  • building a new parkade on Summer Street
  • doing preliminary site excavation and preparation and rock removal
• the new tower’s foundation and concrete structure for the main floor are expected to be complete by the end of the year
• Nova Scotia Health staff and physicians have provided input on the new facility’s design