Raising a Children’s Hospital

Rendering of the future Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

On May 30, Canadian billionaire Jim Pattison, businessman and philanthropist and originally from Luceland, Saskatchewan, announced a donation of $50 million to the Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan Foundation.

It was the largest one-time donation in the province’s history, and in honour of the gift, the new hospital was renamed Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

Scheduled to open in 2019, the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon and linked to the adjacent Royal University Hospital.

The 176-bed children’s hospital will offer neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, general pediatrics, pediatric emergency, and ambulatory services. Maternal services will include labour and delivery, antepartum, and postpartum care.

The site broke ground on the $285.2 million project in September 2014. ZW Group Inc. of Ottawa is providing project management services, and the architecture team includes Saskatoon’s Henry Downing Architects and ZGF Architects.

The building’s design is intended to maximize daylight exposure and the views from patient rooms. The exterior will include a combination of metal, glass and stone reflecting elements of the province and embracing the riverbank beauty of its location.

There are five floors where clinical care will be provided, plus a rooftop with a helipad, a basement for materials and support services and a sub-basement for mechanical and electrical services.

In August 2015 the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority awarded the main building construction contract to Graham Construction and Engineering.

Daniels Wingerak Engineering Ltd. of Saskatoon is the mechanical engineer.

Entuitive is providing structural engineering services.

The lead electrical consultant is WSP and Stantec is a sub-consultant.