December 5, 2012

Best Canadian P3 projects honoured

EAGLE VISION PHOTOGRAPHY

The Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care Project was a Silver Infrastructure Award winner.

The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships has recognized outstanding Canadian public-private partnerships (P3) in the areas of project financing, service delivery and infrastructure in its 2012 national awards.

The slate of recipients of the awards for innovation and excellence in public-private partnerships includes two highways, five health care facilities and P3 champion, Monique Jérôme-Forget, a former Quebec finance minister and early proponent of P3s in the province.

In a release, the council said this year’s recipients showcase how the P3 approach is having a positive impact in communities across Canada looking for renewal and investment to deliver infrastructure and services faster, more efficiently and at greater value for taxpayers.

“We are continually impressed by the stories the partners tell of true collaboration between the public and private sectors in taking the projects from concept to operation,” said Mark Romoff, the council’s president and CEO.

“With projects awarded this year in five provinces, it shows that public-private partnerships have become an important vehicle for governments to deliver much-needed infrastructure and improve the quality of life for Canadians across the country.”

Gold Award winners were:

Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals Project (Service Delivery Award).

This complex project includes a whole-site facility management model with multiple buildings 50 kilometres apart that fall under two regional health organizations.

The private partner took over responsibility for maintaining existing facilities in 2009, as well as three new facilities. The integrated plant maintenance, consistent standards and single help desk will ensure the facilities management services are at the leading edge of efficiency. Graham Design Builders were the prime contractors.

BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North (Infrastructure Award).

The council said that the facility innovatively incorporated wood elements in many interior and exterior elements, reflecting the Aboriginal cultural context of B.C.’s North and to promote the use of wood construction.

Design and construction was completed in just more than 2.5 years at a total cost of $72.2 million. PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.

Centre hospitalier de I’Université de Montréal CHUM (Project Finance Award).

The project involves the replacement of three existing hospitals into one new facility of about 332,655 square metres in downtown Montréal.

It involves the largest P3 senior debt funding in Canada to date with a value of $1.37 billion and was the first Canadian P3 financed at a BBB-category rating level.

Silver Award winners were:

Humber River Regional Hospital New Acute Care Facility (Project Finance Award).

PCL Constructors was the prime contractor.

This $1.75 billion project is the first fully digital hospital in North America.

The $1 billion of private construction-phase financing is sourced from a combination of short-term and long-term bond proceeds, which achieved an “A” rating when they were issued.

Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care Project (Infrastructure Award).

Designed to meet LEED Gold certification, the $301.8 million facility includes a 55-bed hospital and 124-bed residential care facility for seniors.

The final agreement is expected to achieve value for taxpayers’ dollars of $20.7 million. The prime contractor was Stuart Olson Dominion Construction.

An Award of Merit went to the Northwest Anthony Henday Drive project. Flatiron Constructors Canada Limited were the prime contractor.

This project involved the design and construction of about 21 kilometres of six and four-lane divided roadway. It has eight interchanges, five flyovers and two railroad crossings.

The road, which opened to traffic in November 2011, is expected to deliver $240 million in projected cost savings over the life of the 30-year agreement as well as reduced average commute times north of Edmonton.

The C.W. Chuck Wills Award went to the Disraeli Bridges & Freeway Project. It is presented to outstanding municipal P3 projects.

This City of Winnipeg project included the replacement of the two-kilometre stretch of the Disraeli Freeway, with a new road and two bridge structures over the Red River and railway.

The private partner was challenged with environmental contamination and keeping lanes open during construction.

The result is 17 per cent in cost savings compared to the traditional approach and a much-improved artery into Winnipeg’s downtown.

The awards were presented during the council’s 20th annual conference in Toronto.

JOC NEWS SERVICE

PCL CONSTRUCTORS WESTCOAST INC

PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. was the prime contractor on the BC Cancer Agency for the North, which earned the Gold Infrastructure Award from the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.

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