The Colliers Project Leaders was recently named the company behind the project for the future Weyburn hospital, and now they're taking the first steps to see it completed.

Mal Barber is on the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation board and said it's exciting times for everyone involved.

"Derrell Rodine is a member-at-large that sits on our board as well the Hospital Planning Committee and Dr. Lenferna represents doctors on that committee as well. In conjunction with them, the Western Planning Committee and Colliers Project Leaders have been in town for the last couple of weeks interviewing all kinds of people that will be using our building," Barber said. "It's exciting to see them starting their planning stage of it to see what the needs of our community are."

After tons of fundraising and effort put forth by people involved with the Hospital Foundation, it's reassuring to see this step. Barber said it feels like they're starting to make progress.

"It's a pretty good sign in my book, and they've been well received by all the different facets of our community that use hospital services. I think they're doing their homework. I know our member Derrell reported back that he's very happy with the basic work they're doing to really establish what our needs are and what kind of hospital we need to have."

Realistically, the future hospital is still years away, but good things do take time and it would be a shame for facility to be lacking in a department after all the planning and fundraising went into it. 

Barber said their findings from the interviews will be submitted in a report to the provincial government in the coming months.

"We are all pretty positive about it. We are just like the general public, you're always thinking it should happen tomorrow. But, it does take time and they have to do their homework. The reports that we're getting is that they are doing their homework," he said. "The report has to be in in the next two or three months, so it's not a long span before their report is done. Then, of course, that information can be used by provincial planning in the budgeting process. Then we can look ahead to when the hospital may take that next step forward and out some pilings in the ground, which we would all love to see."

While it is just an initial step for the planning of the hospital, it's generating plenty of excitement. These findings will lay the foundation of the project and hopefully, it can pick up some momentum in the near future. It seems there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Weyburn's future hospital. 

READ MORE: Hospital Foundation Provides Update