Construction for a new francophone health centre is expected to start soon.
To make way for the new consolidated facility, Centre de santé communautaire de Timmins' (CSC Timmins) existing building on Kent Avenue is being demolished. During construction, the organization will continue to offer services at the Timmins Square.
While there's no date for when the demolition will start, executive director Michelle Stevens expects it will be soon.
In April, the province announced $10 million for a new facility. Since the announcement, CSC Timmins has worked on fencing, architecture, program management, the topographic study of the ground, promotion and more.
"It is going really well. We hired an architect as well as a project manager to help us with the pre-qualification for tendering the demolition," said Stevens.
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CSC Timmins was created in November 2018 and began offering services in late 2019.
The non-profit organization, funded through the Northeast Local Health Integration Network, provides primary care services and community programs to the francophone community in Timmins and its surrounding areas. It's been offering services out the Kent Street facility and at the Timmins Square.
"During the period of construction, the clinic remains at the Timmins Square to ensure that the clients have that location that they are familiar with," she said.
When the funding was announced, the government said the new facility will allow services to expand to include childhood education, physiotherapy and psychology services. It will also be able to offer practical training for medical students. It will be able to accommodate 18,000 visits and 20,000 group attendances each year.
The services are not exclusively for francophones.
"We do allow for their spouses, children or immediate family who are not francophones," she explained.
Though there is no specific date for the new facility opening, she expects the work will be done by 2024-25.
"I feel overjoyed for the community," she said.
