A new high-power generator has arrived at La Verendrye Hospital in Fort Frances, ready to supply backup power to the hospital.
“Today marked an exciting milestone, as our new generator arrived and was successfully lifted into place with the assistance of a specialized heavy-duty crane brought in from Thunder Bay,” Riverside Health Communications Co-ordinator Kathryn Pierroz said in a press release.
“The size and weight of the generator made this a significant undertaking and an exciting step forward for the project.”
The addition of the third generator at the hospital will increase its backup power coverage from approximately 40 per cent to 100 per cent, allowing the entire facility to remain operational during a power outage.
“With the generator now installed, we’re pleased to see this multiyear project moving closer to completion,” Pierroz said. “Additional work, testing and commissioning are still required before the new system becomes operational.”
Like almost all large-scale institutional hospital backups, this generator is powered by a high-capacity, heavy-duty diesel engine designed for extreme reliability, rapid startup times and the ability to run continuously for days if the main grid drops.
It continuously backs up life-saving sectors, including operating rooms, emergency rooms, and acute care wards.
In the wake of several lengthy planned power outages that have affected most of the Rainy River District in one way or another, the provincial government provided $383,446 in funding for the project in 2023 through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund.
