Construction set to begin on QEII’s Halifax Infirmary site

The Province of Nova Scotia announced today that it has reached an agreement with Plenary PCL Health to start advanced work on the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

“Today is an excellent example of how we are delivering on our plan to do more and go faster as we do whatever it takes to fix healthcare,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister responsible for healthcare redevelopment projects. “We are removing obstacles to get the Infirmary site ready so that we can pour concrete as soon possible.”

The agreement covers initial work that needs to be done (site surveying, blasting preparation and construction office setup) to prepare the site for the acute care tower, which will have 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a new emergency department.

“The Plenary PCL Health team is thrilled to reach this next step in our partnership with the Province and Nova Scotia Health. We look forward to beginning early work on the Halifax Infirmary site in the coming weeks and collaboratively advancing design development on the project.”
     – Brian Budden, President & CEO, Plenary Americas

Crews will begin work to extend the current emergency department, providing flexibility for patient flow during construction. Excavation and the relocation of mechanical and electrical utilities will also be done to prepare the site for the building. Temporary parking options will be created so the Robie Street parkade can be demolished.

The Province is investing $254 million in this phase of the project which is expected to be completed in early 2024.

“We are excited and focused on the operational and clinical requirements that support this significant build. We acknowledge there will be some disruption and are working hard with our partners to reduce the impact to patients, healthcare workers and the communities we serve. Other projects coincide with this work including the QEII Community Outpatient Centre in Bayers Lake. New facilities like this will help reduce overall traffic to the Halifax Infirmary site as we continue to build better healthcare for Nova Scotians.”

– Dr. Alex Mitchell, Vice-President of Clinical Infrastructure at Nova Scotia Health and Build Nova Scotia

“PCL Construction is excited to work with the Province of Nova Scotia on this important piece of infrastructure that will ensure that state-of-the-art healthcare is available to all residents for generations to come. We’re looking forward to the next stages of our partnership and getting shovels in the ground to start construction in the near future.”

-Paul Knowles, Vice-President and District Manager, PCL Construction, Ottawa and Atlantic Canada

Media Contact:

Gary Andrea
Cell: 902-456-6196
Email: Gary.Andrea@novascotia.ca