The new Cardston Health Centre will bring emergency and acute care together with community programs, allied health, public health, home care, and mental health and addictions services in one facility. This will improve access to care, strengthen coordination and expand capacity for a growing and aging population in southern Alberta.
“This region needs reliable access to modern services, and we’re acting on that. The new Cardston Health Centre will replace an outdated facility, expand capacity and improve how patients move through the system. It means families in the Cardston-Kainai region can get the care they need closer to home.”
“By expanding acute care capacity in rural Alberta through projects such as the new Cardston Health Centre, we are improving patient outcomes and increasing access to health care services.”
The current Cardston Health Centre, built in 1959, is one of the oldest facilities in the province and no longer meets modern safety, accessibility and infection control standards. The new centre will address these deficiencies while expanding inpatient capacity from 19 to 24 beds, including labour and delivery–postpartum, isolation, and bariatric rooms, as well as up to 11 emergency treatment spaces.
“A strong and resilient health care system means building modern health care infrastructure across the province, including in rural Alberta. The Cardston replacement hospital will provide better emergency care, improved patient outcomes, and better access to high-quality care in the rural communities of southern Alberta.”
“The new health centre in Cardston will strengthen health care across the Cardston-Kainai region and southern Alberta, ensuring rural residents have reliable access to high-quality care, closer to home.”
The Cardston–Kainai area serves more than 16,000 residents and supports about 500,000 annual visitors to the Waterton National Park area. It is home to diverse communities with unique and complex health needs. The Blood Tribe Department of Health has been invited to collaborate in the functional programming process for the Cardston Health Centre to help inform planning and ensure the facility meets the needs of the community. The collaboration will support culturally safe health care planning and ensure Blood Tribe health priorities are understood and considered in the facility design.
“A new hospital is a major investment to the community and perhaps the largest Cardston has ever seen. With support from local health professionals, leaders and surrounding communities, I could not be more excited to see this project move ahead. I look forward to getting shovels in the ground and seeing progress on this facility in the years ahead.”
“The new Cardston Health Centre is an extremely important site for the community, and will reflect the diverse population and cultural richness of the region.”
“The Town of Cardston sincerely thanks the provincial government for supporting a new hospital. This vital investment brings improved care, strengthens our community and ensures residents in Cardston and surrounding areas have access to the health care they deserve.”
Alberta’s government will continue investing in rural and remote health infrastructure to strengthen access to care across the province. Projects like the new Cardston Health Centre will ensure Albertans can access high-quality health services closer to home, when and where they need them.
Quick facts
- Budget 2026’s Capital Plan includes $4.9 billion for health infrastructure to build a health care system that supports the growing needs of rural and urban communities.
- The new Cardston Health Centre is estimated to cost a total of $474 million.
Related news
- Budget 2026: Investing in what matters (Feb. 26, 2026)