There鈥檚 a new tower of power at Lions Gate Hospital.
As part of the hospital鈥檚 power plant replacement project, which broke ground more than a year ago and is expected to be complete by spring next year, a series of flue stacks were erected on the campus site Wednesday morning.
The trio of 42-metre-high stacks 鈥� situated 11 metres below ground and 31 metres above ground 鈥� are made from insulated stainless steel and will exhaust residue from the power plant鈥檚 boiler room when the system comes online next spring, according to Noor Esmail, executive director and chief project officer for Lions Gate Hospital鈥檚 redevelopment projects.
The power plant is not actually power-generating, but functions as the 鈥渙perational heart of the hospital,鈥� said Esmail.
鈥淎ll of our services go through there. The main functions of the plant are really to house all of the services 鈥� the main one is boilers, and there鈥檚 large boilers that produce steam in the current plant, and that鈥檚 how we heat the facility, as well as provide sterilization of all of our medical equipment,鈥� he said.
The new power plant will also contain all-new equipment for steam and hot water generation, along with major mechanical, electrical, gas, water and other systems required at the Lions Gate Hospital campus.
The $26-million power plant project, funded by the provincial government, is part of a large-scale redevelopment effort currently underway at Lions Gate Hospital, with construction set to start next summer on a new six-storey, 108-room acute care facility following a successful $100-million fundraising campaign spearheaded by the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
The new acute care tower is set to be built on the site that houses the hospital鈥檚 current power plant. In order to accommodate the new facility, it was determined that a new power plant was needed that wouldn鈥檛 impact the rest of the hospital campus as it continues to grow, according to Esmail.
鈥淲e鈥檙e literally underground with this [new] plant. It was a strategic thing for our site because we can safeguard the future master planning by not having a footprint on the site,鈥� said Esmail, touting the uniqueness of having a 鈥渟ubterranean鈥� power plant. 鈥淎ll you鈥檙e going to see of this plant is a little glass access way 鈥� that鈥檚 just a little shed that will be sitting aboveground 鈥� and then the stacks.鈥�
The hospital鈥檚 original power plant was built in 1961, alongside its south acute tower, and is reaching the end of its lifespan, noted Esmail, adding that the new project will also bring the power plant up to date with regards to current seismic code requirements.
The new power plant is expected to be complete by spring 2020 and will serve the entire Lions Gate Hospital campus. Completion of the new acute care tower and facility is expected to wrap up by 2023.
