The Helipad for Hospital Project

Goal

Revelstoke’s Queen Victoria Hospital needed a helicopter landing pad that meets Transport Canada regulations. The Revelstoke District Health Foundation goal was to raise $465,000 to make the project a reality.

Donations

On November 14, 2016 the Revelstoke & District Health Foundation began its fundraising campaign to raise $465,000 towards the construction of a helicopter landing pad at Revelstoke’s Queen Victoria Hospital. This was the most ambitious fundraiser taken on by the Health Foundation. The kick-off day was a huge success. Donations came in from residents, businesses, non-profits, agencies and by day’s end there were donations in excess of $300,000 either made or committed. The Revelstoke Credit Union made its largest ever single donation of $100,000 to the project. The Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary made a $50,000 donation. Other donations include $25,000 from the Gorman family thru Downie Timber, $15,000 from Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation and $27,500 from ski industry businesses based in Revelstoke. Long time Revelstoke Ed Deloughery passed away in 2016. The family asked that donations could be made to the helipad project in lieu of flowers and also in his memory. Over $60,000 was donated in Ed’s memory.

Completed QVH Helipad – Photo credit: Mike Pirnke

In addition there were donations in kind made for excavation (Speers Construction), surveying (Azimuth Forestry and Mapping Solutions), tree hauling and sales (Kozek Sawmill), aggregate material for site preparation (H&J Ready Mix), material hauling to and from the site (Emcon), site supervision (Tony Morabito), electrical (Revelstoke Electric), plumbing of conduit (Revelstoke Plumbing and Heating), roofing materials (TJ Developments and Roofing) and the perimeter fencing (Score Fencing).

Over the next two months donations continued to pour in. Many social events made the helipad project the recipient of donations. Whether it was a show at the performing arts centre or a Chamber of Commerce social gathering. Revelstoke residents understood the urgency and need and they fell in behind the project with their hearts and outpouring of generosity. There was a looming deadline of March 31, 2017 as this was Interior Health’s date to make their commitment of staff towards capital projects for the year. At Feb 13, 2017 the project was still $105,000 short of its target. It was the 11th hour and the Province of BC, North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District and BC Hydro came through with their commitments. At March 31, 2017 a total of over $600,000 was attained.

Construction

The construction started in September of 2017. It was now a race against mother nature to have the construction completed before winter. Contractors hit the project hard. They all understood the timeline and they worked collaboratively to make the project run smoothly. The last bit of concrete was poured just before it became too cold and the final spray of paint on the deck just before the snowflakes appeared. The last step was an inspection from Transport Canada to approve the landing pad. The official approval came in May 2018. An official grand opening of the helipad came in October of 2018. Donors to the helipad project are listed on a wall display in the main hallway of Queen Victoria Hospital.

THANK YOU!

The board of directors of the Revelstoke and District Health Foundation would like to sincerely thank the hundreds of donors and many more supporters of this important component of the emergency services that serves Revelstoke. Revelstoke can be proud of this accomplishment and has demonstrated once again how much we care and that great things do happen when we believe.