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Transport Canada clears St. Joe's Hospital helipad for takeoff, landing

The helipad at St. Joseph's General Hospital is now open for service. St. Joseph's announced last month that its helipad retrofit had reached substantial completion, and it has now received its final re-certification from Transport Canada.

The helipad at St. Joseph's General Hospital is now open for service.St. Joseph's announced last month that its helipad retrofit had reached substantial completion, and it has now received its final re-certification from Transport Canada.The completion of the retrofit of helicopters recently purchased by the government is anticipated in September of this year, but in the meantime, the heliport is now open for service, according to a press release from St. Joseph's.With this retrofit, the helipad at St. Joseph's will now  receive the H1 designation, allowing it to receive scheduled landings from dual-engine, H1-certified helicopters — including the Cormorant, BC Air Ambulance Service and emergency landings from all other helicopters. The Vancouver Island Health Authority and the Comox-Strathcona Regional Hospital District cost shared the $160,000 upgrade, which provides a new, more substantive pad at a specific angle in a particular location with new markings, a distinctive directional arrow, new lighting arrangements and windsock relocation to the roof of the hospital facility.