New totem poles in Sechelt

The final touches to the Sechelt Hospital expansion were made earlier this week as three totem poles were raised and blessed in front of the hospital’s award-winning new tower and lobby that have been accommodating patients since 2013.

Members of the Sechelt Nation participate in the blessing of three new totem poles placed outside of the Sechelt Hospital expansion recently.

Sechelt Nation carvers Dion Louie and Tony Paul were on hand to explain to a large number of Sunshine Coast residents the history and design of their intricately carved poles as was local artist Shain Jackson, who designed and produced a large mural that hangs in the main lobby.

Integrating these intricate works of Aboriginal art into a healing environment are a key reason that the hospital expansion project was recognized for Use of Art in the Patient Environment by the International Academy for Design and Health.

The Sechelt Hospital expansion project has also been recognized with LEED Gold certification – meaning its environmental footprint is much smaller than typical buildings – and was also recently rated as #10 in the Top 30 Most Environmentally Friendly Hospitals in the world by an independent evaluator.

“I think it’s important to recognize the efforts of so many of our staff, physicians, project team members and partners such as the Sechelt First Nation and Sunshine Coast Regional District who’ve made this project such a success,” says Coastal Chief Operating Officer Mike Nader. “ It’s not only a health care success, enabling our staff to provide the kind of care to Sunshine Coast residents that they deserve, but also an environmental and sustainability success.

The expansion project was funded jointly by VCH and the Sunshine Coast Regional District and came in on target with the 44M budget.