In 1958 the operating budget for Community Hospital was $60,000. By 1992, this figure has escalated to $2,500,000. It has presently the equivalent of approximately 80 full time positions, thus making it a major employer in the area.

On June 27, 1990, at the annual meeting of Community Hospital, O'Leary, the Hon. Robert Morrissey made an official announcement that a hospital would be built on a new location.

The board of trustees had been lobbying government for a num- ber of years to update the hospital because of recommendations made by the accreditors.

The hospital no longer met building code standards in many respects, as well the services and functions had outgrown the space.

The new hospital is being built at a cost of eight million dollars. The floor space required to bring it up to standards will be 51,902 BFG, double the floor space of the existing hospital. It will be a 32 bed hospital which will also include the services of Public Health and Home Care and Support.

A new location had been recommended by the Applied Management Consultants because of the size constraints of the exist- :ing site.

The new site allows easier access for traffic. It will also allow pedestrian walkways designed for the handicapped, service yard, snow storage and parking spaces for employees, medical staff, public, emergency and community services.

The new site consists of ten acres of land purchased from Deborah Ann MacPherson, a part of her father’s farm (Mr. Clarence MacKinnon).

The construction of the new hospital began in October, 1992 with project completion by December, 1993.

Mr. Patrick Dobbin, Administrator, on behalf of the Board of Trustees (1990-1992) played a major role in the planning and negoti- ating with government. Many others also played a major role: Allison Ellis, Robert Morrissey, Robert E. Campbell - (M.L.A.'s), Harold Tuck, Stanley MacDonald, David Ferguson, Walter Wilcox, Norman Larter, Trevor Webb, Harold Gard, Cynthia Larter, Debbie Gorrill, Eva Rodgerson, Isabel Stetson, Blair Horne, Laurids MacLennan, Bernadette Coughlin, Orville Willis, Sandra Currie, Judy MacWilliams, Graham Minor, Gary Gray - (trustees), Douglas and Georgina Ferguson (co-chairmen of the hospital equipment fund), L.G. Dewar, C.M. Dewar, Herb Dickieson, Ed Pineau, and TR Verma (doctors), Arlene Gallant-Bemard (director of nursing), and Brucine Collins (project manager).

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