Province to spend $1.25B for south Calgary hospital

The Alberta government is committing$1.25 billionto build what Premier Ed Stelmach is calling a "leading edge" hospital and health campus in south Calgary.

"This last week, Treasury Board met and committed $1.25 billion to the expanded scope of the project," Stelmach said Friday. "The announcement is being made today get the project goingand start building."

The province had originally set aside$550 million for the first phase of the260-bedhospital,an amount included in the $1.25 billion announcedFriday. Stelmach had promised in March that the province was committed to fully funding the project.

The hospital will now open in 2011, rather than 2009.

Alberta Liberals are calling Friday's announcement a desperate attempt at damage control by the premier leading up to next week's byelection in Calgary-Elbow.