Former medical clinic building purchased

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2010 (5576 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The former Westbrook Medical Centre building on Logan Avenue has been sold.

Bernard Cheater, a Winnipeg businessman and part owner of the 4Play Sportsbar in downtown Winnipeg, confirmed he purchased the building earlier this month.

The building had been vacant except for a small pharmacy outlet since it closed last December following the suspension of its owner by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

“We are working on some improvements to the inside and exterior and I hope to have some doctors in there very soon,” Cheater said last week.

“I’d like to see tenants as soon as I can.”

Ivan Sabesky, chairperson of the Nor’West Co-op Community Health Centre, said last week his organization is still investigating the possibility of opening a clinic in the region. It has been without a medical clinic since the Westbrook Medical Centre closed last year.

However, Sabesky stressed plans for a new clinic are still only at the discussion stage.

“As it relates to this proposal we’ve not heard anything but at this point it’s a bit premature to talk about it,” he said.

Nor’West officials have previously indicated an interest in locating a clinic in the building, located at 1800 Logan Ave. near Keewatin Street.

Sabesky said Nor’West still has an interest in the building if there is community support for the location and the building is available.

“Things are still up in the air,” he said. “We haven’t heard anything on our end. We are still looking at renting the facility.”

Officials with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority have been tight-lipped about the organization’s involvement in the clinic plans. A WRHA spokesperson did confirm that the agency had no interest in purchasing the building.

Inkster MLA Kevin Lamoureux said he is hopeful the project will proceed.

“There are lots of ways to getting a clinic back in the building,” he said.

Lamoureux, who has organized several community meetings to rally support for  a new community health clinic, said he is disappointed there hasn’t been more progress to date.

“There are thousands of people in the area that need a health care facility,” he said.

rob.brown@canstarnews.com