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Prefabricated unit marks major step toward bringing permanent MRI services to the region by late 2025
Published Nov 19, 2025  • Last updated 2 days ago  • 2 minute read
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A crane positions the new modular MRI building beside the diagnostic imaging department at the Upper River Valley Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 19. Photo by SHANA GREY/BRUNSWICK NEWSArticle content
A modular building that will house the Upper River Valley’s new permanent MRI machine arrived at the Upper River Valley Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, marking a major milestone in a years-long effort to expand diagnostic services in the region.
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The pre-built structure, shipped from Quebec, will be installed in the coming days.
According to a press release, the prefabricated unit weighs about 110,000 pounds and travelled roughly 2,400 kilometres over seven days on a 130-foot super-load truck and trailer, making its way through the region’s first snowfall.
The release states Crews will begin setting the unit in place using a 250-ton crane which will lower the structure onto a reinforced foundation beside the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department.
According to a Siemens Canada press release, the modular MRI cassette is the first of its kind in New Brunswick.
The release explains the unit will be connected to the building and utilities and because the cassette’s interior and exterior finishings were completed off-site, and only the delivery and installation of the new Siemens Healthineers MRI system remains.
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The new structure will house a permanent 1.5-Tesla MRI — the first for the facility — a long-awaited upgrade Horizon Health says will reduce wait times and expand access to advanced diagnostic imaging across the province.
The arrival represents a significant step in the community-driven project years in the making.
In fall 2023, the Upper River Valley Hospital Foundation announced it had reached its $3-million fundraising goal, supported by a $1.4-million donation from an anonymous family from Speerville for the MRI unit, as well as widespread community contributions toward the cost of the building.
SDI Canada — the medical-infrastructure company that designed and built the cassette — says the modular approach dramatically shortens timelines compared to traditional construction. The firm, which has completed similar turnkey MRI installations in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg, delivered the unit less than 10 months after receiving the design contract.
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Blaine Lynch, Horizon’s regional director of facilities, engineering and property management, said on-site construction to connect the modular unit to the hospital is progressing well and the project remains on track for completion by December 2025.
Once operational, the MRI is expected to scan its first patient in December 2025. It will replace the portable unit currently shared with Campbellton, which is only on-site in Waterville for part of each month.
According to Horizon the permanent machine will more than double patient capacity and enable scans not possible with the mobile system, including some for patients with pacemakers.
Horizon Health has also committed to recruiting and training the specialized staff required to run the new equipment. Health officials say the investment strengthens diagnostic capacity in the Upper Valley and supports long-term recruitment by demonstrating the region’s commitment to modern, high-quality care.
The Upper River Valley Hospital Foundation says the project supports its mission to elevate healthcare for the roughly 45,000 residents the hospital serves — an effort that has already delivered more than $4 million in equipment improvements since 2020.
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