Municipality of Barrington moving ahead with community health centre project

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BARRINGTON, NS – The Municipality of Barrington has awarded a $699,434.00 contract to Jost + Architects Ltd. for architect services for a new community health centre project.

“The architectural team will be managing the design development, tender and construction phases,” says municipal CAO Chris Frotten.

Frotten says the current work plan for the community health centre sees it completed by summer 2025.

The former Knowles property, across from the Barrington Ground Search and Rescue building in Barrington Passage on Highway 3, is the proposed location for the health centre at this time. The property is located well off the highway, back behind the rails to trails, he says.

A new community health centre has been on the municipality’s capital budget since 2022-23. In the 2023-24 capital budget, the estimated cost of the project is $9 million.

The community health centre project has been on the list for a couple of years, says Warden Eddie Nickerson.

“Since the approval and acquisition of money to replace the rec centre – the $6 million, that project is going to start shortly – the community health centre would be our top priority now too as far as major capital expenditures,” says Warden Nickerson. “It’s something we feel the community needs to help us recruit and retain doctors and other health care professionals.”

Warden Nickerson says the vision is to house as much, if not all, of the healthcare services they can bring to the municipality at the new health centre.

“We are working with the province about bringing services together. We’re still in talks with the province. It’s very preliminary at this time,” he says.

“The province wants to work with communities that are willing to put their money where their mouth is. The Municipality of Barrington is willing to put the money up and get these projects underway,” Warden Nickerson says.

“We’ve had them on the burner for a long time. It’s time they come to fruition to enhance our community,” he adds. “We need doctors here to allow us to bring professionals here – doctors, bankers, osteopaths, chiropractors, family doctors, or whatever we need to grow our community. The more services we can have her the better off we’re going to be.”