BOYLE – The Village of Boyle is one step closer to constructing a new heliport for the Boyle Healthcare Centre, a move Mayor Colin Derko said would increase emergency response times and save lives.
During their July 3 regular council meeting, councillors heard a presentation from Ron German, a heliport expert who analyzed the villages circumstances and showcased how two different heliports styles could work for the hospital.
“This is the first step to see what it’s going to be,” said Derko during the conversation. “We got to stay involved — as a municipality, that’s got to continue beyond (this term).”
Boyle’s existing helipad was shut down by Alberta Health Services (AHS) in 2019 after it failed to meet new regulations. STARS had recently shifted to a larger helicopter model, and municipalities like Athabasca and Boyle were left with non-compliant landing zones.
“The big issue with the current one is it was built way too close to the hospital,” said German. “All the area around it would have to be closed off completely to allow it to operate, be compliant with standards, and be safe.”
German’s proposed location is northwest of the hospital and the old helipad, in the open field. The proposal is for an H1 heliport, which means only multi-engine helicopters can land at it, but German said it would be enough for STARS to fly into. Councillors preferred his plan for a surface level pad over an elevated one, citing the lower cost and easier work as benefits to a rural community.
“The last retaining wall I built, the guys came out of Cold Lake,” said Derko. “But I could name half-a-dozen guys with CATs or backhoes who would be willing to be here tomorrow morning.”
“Our locals know how to move dirt, and how to build things out of existing land and move it around.”
In total, German estimated the surface design would be just under $975,000, and the elevated design would $990,000 when he factored in an additional 25 per cent contingency on the project.
“It’s not just our municipality making this decision, (Athabasca) County is absolutely involved in this project and has been since day one,” said Derko.
Councillors weren’t optimistic about funding support from AHS — the provincial organization has a set of criteria for heliports, including how far they are from the nearest airport and how many STARS flights have flown in and out; benchmarks Boyle doesn’t meet.
“We haven’t had a STARS pad, our hospital has been on reduced hours, people aren’t coming to our hospital for serious issues because they know they’re going to get shipped out,” said Coun. Shelby Kiteley. “Our municipal airport is five minutes (away), but when you’re waiting for four hours for an ambulance to take you there, well now it’s not.”
Next Steps
German said the village would have to work with its partners to see if the project is affordable and in the price range before getting AHS’s agreement for the heliport. Once both those steps have been completed, the technical work for the site can begin. A detailed design of the heliport and all its required features, alongside more accurate cost analysis prepared by a consultant would need to be completed before the project gets tendered.
“We’ll let the county know what we’re doing,” said Derko. “That way we’re not pulling one way and they’re not pulling in the other. We should all be pulling in the same direction.”
