Take a sneak peek inside Whitehorse hospital's new emergency department

The new emergency department at Whitehorse General Hospital won't see its first patients until next month, but this week the hospital is giving people an early peek insidethe new facility.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday, and public open houses are set for Friday and Saturday.

Brian Gillen, chair of the Yukon Hospital Corporation,calls the two-storey, 40,000 square foot addition,"aremarkable facility, by any standard."

He says it has 17 "well-equipped treatment areas," compared to 10 in the current emergency department.

"It will enable our ER staff to much better deal with the some-34,000visits made each year to the emergency room, by Yukoners," he said.

Construction on the new wing began two years ago, and cost$72 million. It was built byPCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. (PCL), but Gillen says nearly 100 Yukon-based businesses were also involved indifferent stages of the project.

Gillendescribesit as a state-of-the-art facility, with a lot of thought put into its design.

"Many Yukon-inspired colours and elements incorporated into the design will make it a comfortable and healing space," he said.

Health Minister Pauline Frost also spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. She says the new wing is much-needed.

Once it is open, she says the existing emergency department will be availablefor other uses.

"As it's vacated, we will have a conversation with the care providers and our partners about what should happen with that facility," she said.

"We are all aware that the hospital, and the pressures that we've been faced with in terms of bed shortagesthis provides opportunities."

The new emergency department will be open for the public to come take a look on Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It will open to patients on Jan. 9.