N.L. government doubles down on new Waterford location on flood plain

The provincial government is standing by its plan to build a new adult mental health and addictions facility on a flood plain.

It says the Health Sciences Centre and the facility replacing the Waterford Hospital will be protected from flooding by two berms.

"There is a challenge with regards to climate change but we are quite confident from what we've seen from the experts in this field that we can certainly mitigate that risk," said Works and Transportation Minister Steve Crocker on Tuesday.

The new mental health facility will be different in its function than the Waterford was.- John Haggie

"The berms will make it safer for everybody. There is a tremendous amount ofinfrastructure in that part of the city, and the bermsmake that entire piece of the city, at least, safer."

Hurricane Igor exposed problem

Crocker said he wants to dispel the notion the bermsare being constructedbecause of the new mental health facility.

He said the berms, which will make the pond they surround four feet deeper, arenecessary because theHealth Sciences Centre is on a flood plain.

"We saw the impacts in 2010 (of Hurricane Igor) and the identification of the necessity for the berm that was planned all along. That threat is there. It is a risk until the berms are built."

Provincial officials say the Health Sciences Centre's basement was within inches of being flooded afterHurricane Igor hit.

Government officials say flood plain maps show the city may have flooding problems above and below the Health Sciences area in the future, but Crocker said the bermswon't make those potential problems any worse.

• Don't build mental health hospital on a flood plain, warns St. John's deputy mayor

Co-location best for mental health

The health minister says there are many reasons why the site that has been chosen is best.

"I think everyone regards this as a stand-alone facility. I think a better way to look at it would be to regard it as an extension ofthe existing Health Sciences facility," said John Haggie.

"Essentially this is co-locating mental health and addiction facilities with the tertiary-care unit for physical health."

The health minister wants the focus to moveaway from concerns about flooding toward a discussion about improving mental health care.

Different from the Waterford

"The new adult mental healthfacility will be different in its function than the Waterford was," he said. "There's a lot of desire now to let's get on and talk about that. We're actually leading the country in some of the things we are doing with these mental health services that we've proposed."

Crocker says the province will issue tenders for the construction of the berms in the coming months and it's expected that the new mental health and addictions facility will open in 2024.

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