The completion of construction at the Portage Regional Health Centre marks a major milestone for health care in the region, as the facility moves closer to welcoming patients and staff.
With the building phase now finished, responsibility for the site transitions to Southern Health-Santé Sud, which will oversee final preparations ahead of opening. Community leaders say the project represents years of planning and investment aimed at strengthening medical services for Portage la Prairie and surrounding areas.
Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox says the end of construction is a moment of excitement for the entire region.
“It’s really exciting to see that the construction is officially done at the Portage Regional Health Centre,” Knox says. “Southern Health is next in line as our health authority, and they’ll be doing everything they need to do over the coming months to get it ready for patients and staff.”
She notes the new facility brings advanced care closer to home for residents who previously had to travel for specialized services.
“It’s exciting for our region to be able to have state-of-the-art health care right here,” Knox adds. “We’re just thrilled that the province has invested in the Portage la Prairie region.”
While anticipation continues to build, no official opening date has been publicly announced. Knox says she is aware of the same information circulating locally, but until timelines are formally confirmed, details remain unofficial.
For many residents, the new hospital also represents a visible transformation from earlier stages of the project, when only limited areas of the building were accessible.
“I was in there a long time ago, when there were just glimpses of what it would become,” Knox explains. “If people think it’s good now, it’s going to be even better.”
The mayor says community involvement has been an important part of the project, including opportunities for residents to contribute local imagery and artwork intended to reflect the region within the hospital’s interior spaces.
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As the final stages move forward, Southern Health-Santé Sud is expected to focus on operational readiness, staffing, equipment installation, and patient flow planning before services are transferred into the new facility.
Knox says the project reflects long-term planning between municipal, regional, and provincial partners, with benefits extending beyond the city itself.
“This hospital is for the whole region,” she continues. “It’s about making sure people can get the care they need closer to home, and that’s something worth celebrating.”
Southern-Health annouccement
With the building phase finished, the project now moves into its final stages, including the installation of medical equipment, digital systems, and comprehensive training for clinical and operational staff. These preparations are aimed at ensuring a safe, efficient, and patient-centred transition into the new facility ahead of its planned opening in the fall of 2026.
The two-storey health centre spans approximately 275,000 square feet and has been designed to meet the community’s evolving health care needs. Once operational, the facility will house 114 acute-care patient beds and provide a full range of services, including medical care, palliative care, rehabilitation, family birthing, surgical services, and special care.
The project represents more than two and a half years of construction and a significant collaborative effort across multiple trades and disciplines.
More than 1.49 million worker hours were dedicated to the build, representing the equivalent of over 170 years of combined labour. Crews poured 10,500 cubic metres of concrete, enough to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools, and installed 1,700 tonnes of structural steel, roughly equivalent to the weight of 1,200 vehicles.
The scale of the project is also reflected in its interior and exterior details.
The building features 238 exterior punch windows, while inside, crews installed 951 doors using more than 10,000 pieces of hardware. Construction included 35,000 lineal feet of interior walls and approximately 1.4 million square feet of drywall, an area large enough to cover 32 acres or stretch about 66 miles if standard sheets were laid end-to-end. In addition, more than 190,000 square feet of ceiling grid was installed throughout the facility.
Once fully operational, the Portage Regional Health Centre is expected to provide a modern and welcoming environment for patients, families, and staff, and to play a critical role in strengthening regional health care services for decades to come.