The new $158 million Fort St. James Hospital, three times the size of the previous one, is now open to patients.

The new facility has 27 beds, with 18 long-term care and nine acute-care beds. It has an expanded emergency department with two treatment rooms, a trauma bay and an ambulance bay. In addition, there are bigger laboratory and diagnostic-imaging spaces.

”We’re thrilled to announce that the new hospital is opening to patients in Fort St. James, increasing access to health care close to home,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This facility represents a significant investment in the health and well-being of people in the region; a need that First Nations and local communities have been expressing for decades. We recognized the urgency of replacing the facility and now both the community and workers will benefit from a modern health-care environment in this state-of-the-art facility.”

The current Fort St. James health centre will be integrated with the new hospital and will open for patients on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

“Families will receive better access to care closer to home at the new Fort St. James hospital starting tomorrow and for many decades to come,” said Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma. “Improving access to health care is a priority for our government and that’s why we’re building more hospitals and health-care centres to deliver the services people need.“

First Nations in the area were consulted throughout the design process to help ensure the facility is welcoming to everyone and is reflective of the local Indigenous culture.

The previous hospital opened in 1972 and is severely outdated in terms of space, size, functionality and technology. It had 12 beds and no decontamination room or dedicated area to receive, assess or triage patients in the emergency department. That facility had two treatment bays, one trauma room and no ambulance bay.