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Burnaby donates $5M for hospital emergency room upgrades

The department's modernization project will be completed through multiple phases.
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer

City hall is chipping in to help upgrade Burnaby Hospital's emergency room.

The Burnaby Hospital Foundation announced the updated emergency room, included in the first phase of the facility's re-development project, will be called the Burnaby Community Emergency Department, in honour of a $5-million donation by the city. 

Phase one focuses on four key services:

  • Expanding emergency care
  • Improving surgery services
  • Creating a new maternity centre
  • Building a new mental health unit

The first phase of redevelopment is estimated to cost $612 million and is funded by the province and the Burnaby Hospital Foundation.

Total cost of the project will be $1.4 billion.

"Emergency care is on the forefront of the minds of our residents and there is no place more deserving of support than our own emergency department, which plays such an essential role in addressing our community's immediate medical needs," Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley said in a news release. 

"The city's leadership, on behalf of all residents in our city, are proud to invest in the future of Burnaby by supporting what our community needs — a modern, expanded emergency department." 

According to the foundation, Burnaby Hospital's emergency department is the second largest in Fraser Health, seeing roughly 83,000 patients in a space that was designed for 54,000. 

By 2035, there will be an estimated 50 per cent increase in in-patients at the hospital and a 30 per cent increase in emergency department visits, B.C. health minister Adrian Dix said at a groundbreaking event in May.

"The foundation shares its deepest gratitude to Mayor Hurley, council members and the City of Burnaby for their unwavering support of an essential community resource," Burnaby Hospital Foundation president and CEO Kristy James added in the release. 

"The Burnaby Community Emergency Department is currently operating beyond its capacity and our talented staff are doing an admirable job; but we know the need for their skills will only increase as the city continues to grow. 

"By supporting the redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital, the city's investment not only helps our current residents, but ensures that future generations will receive improved care in a facility designed with best practices in mind." 

Phase one construction is set to be completed as soon as 2025, the foundation added. 

- with files from Lauren Vanderdeen, Burnaby NOW