Ribbon-cutting for new helipad at Ponoka Hospital set for Nov. 9

PONOKA -- A ribbon-cutting for the new helipad at the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre will be held on November 9th.

Plans for the new helipad were originally brought forward to alleviate concerns for patients requiring transfers to other facilities. Instead of being able to fly out directly from the hospital, patients requiring transfers were required to be taken via ambulance to the regional airport. Once the new helipad at the hospital is in service, STARS will be able to airlift individuals directly from the Ponoka Hospital.

"If it's a catastrophe that Ponoka can't handle, or our physicians can't handle, we'll have a state-of-the-art facility. We'll be able to get them to Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, or wherever need be," said Cam Rice, Chair of the Helipad Committee. "If it saves one life over the course of the next twenty years, then we did our job. I don't think people are getting flown into Ponoka, but they'll darn-sure be flown out."

The new helipad will encompass a larger area to accommodate the new STARS Airbus H145 helicopters. These aircraft were unveiled in 2022 to replace the former BK117 helicopters. The foundation also notes that the new helipad will be built to a higher standard than is currently required in anticipation of future requirements and to increase longevity.

In the early days of planning, the initial cost for constructing a new helipad at the hospital had been estimated at more than $1.5 million. However, the project was eventually able to be undertaken at just under $500,000. With fundraising efforts led by the Ponoka & District Health Foundation, Rice says the local community played a monumental part in helping them raise the funds in a short amount of time.

"We came up with a figure of just shy of half-a-million dollars to get it done," said Rice. "We had $100,000 gift-in-kind through local businesses, then we had to raise about another $350,000 locally, and we managed to pull that off in just short of five weeks."

While fundraising for the project was relatively problem-free, he notes that working through the red tape to make the project viable was the real challenge. This is due to the project facing a meticulous regulatory process due to the project site being located on AHS property.

On Monday, Nov. 9, local residents, municipal and provincial dignitaries, and representatives from STARS will be on site for an official ribbon-cutting for the new helipad. Rice says this will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and food and drinks will be available.

"STARS will have some people in attendance to answer questions, and to tour the facility so they know what's going on," said Rice. "We have a room booked, so people can visit, and we'll do the ribbon-cutting at one o'clock. We'll also have a few short speeches."