LifeLabs closure in Greater Sudbury community raises fears it will become permanent

A recent motor vehicle collision that forced the closure of a local LifeLabs location has raised concerns it will create further delays in an already backlogged system.

The Azilda LifeLabs location will be closed for about a month after a vehicle went through the front of the businesses Jan. 10.

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas said her constituents are concerned about the impact that the closure will have long term.

“I already have hundreds of them that have reached out to me,” Gélinas said.

“Whether you look at Cartier, Onaping, Dowling, Levack, Chelmsford, Azilda, this is the place where they go for their lab tests -- and now it’s no longer available or accessible to them.”

Kaitlyn Dunn of the Greater Sudbury Police said the collision happened around 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10, adding there were no charges laid.

“The car was left in drive and it rolled forward into the LifeLabs,” Dunn said.

“The collision was directed to the collision reporting centre. There were no injuries.”

Gélinas said she isn’t sure why LifeLabs decided to close rather than relocate during the repairs, but she fears it could become permanent.

“I share their fear that this will be the reason they use to cut out the service that they offer for Rayside and everybody living up Highway 144 and centralize their services in Sudbury,” she said.

A list has been posted on the door of the Azilda LifeLabs detailing other locations where patients can go for their lab work.

LIFELABS RESPONDS

LifeLabs responded Tuesday to a request comment from CTV News Northern Ontario. They issued a statement that said, in part:

“Due to the damages to our entryway, we have temporarily closed the site for repairs to ensure the health and safety of our customers and staff. LifeLabs is committed to reopen the patient service centre to the Azilda community once the repairs are complete.

“We understand the frustration and inconvenience this may cause. We have connected with all our existing customers to notify them of the incident and rescheduled their appointments at the alternative LifeLabs location of their choice. Our staff from the Azilda location have been redeployed to surrounding LifeLabs sites to support and serve our customers.

“Our priority is to return to regular operating hours as soon as possible and welcome back our customers safely.

“During the closure, we ask that our customers visit one of the four LifeLabs within a 20-minute drive, at the following locations: 65 Larch St., Sudbury; 1560 Lasalle Blvd., Unit H., Sudbury; 2037 Long Lake Rd., Sudbury; 3140 Hwy 69N, Unit 19, Val Caron.

“We thank the community for their patience and understanding as we navigate this unexpected incident. We will keep the community updated on our progress.”