New North Battleford mental health centre expected in 2018

The province is releasing more details about a replacement for the aging Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford.

The new hospital will include a 188 mental health care beds, which is 32 more beds than the current hospital. It will also have an adjoining 96-room correctional facility.

The correctional facility will house both male and female offenders, but programming and treatment will remain separate from the rest of the hospital.

The new integrated facility will be built with a vision to provide important support for offenders living with mental health issues, Corrections and Policing Minister Christine Tell said in a press release.

The cost of the centre will be determined through a public-private partnership bidding process, with construction expected to start in summer of 2015.

The new facility will be built near the existing Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford and is set to be completed in 2018.

The original building was completed in 1914 at a cost of $500,000.