The High River Hospital, which has treated thousands, not just in High River but the surrounding communities as well, is expanding and renovating its Cancer Care Centre.

The High River and District Health Care Foundation has raised enough funds and the construction of their expanded facility is set to be begin.

Executive Director for the Foundation Michael Brown says the clinic will give patients a choice as to where they can go for cancer treatment and not have to deal with the stress of fighting cancer and traveling to and from the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in the north end of Calgary.

"The biggest thing is people from Okotoks and High River don't have to drive up to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, do chemo and then drive back through rush hour traffic in Calgary," he says.

The current cancer care clinic in High River does serve hundreds of patients going through chemotherapy now, but Brown says when the $1.6 million project is done it'll be a much better all around experience.

"It will have more capacity and so long as they can run longer hours they can do more days in a week of treatment," he says. "Also the biggest thing is patient comfort and safety, right now  to be honest its a pretty grizzly affair to sit for eight hours in a tiny little room with no privacy."

Brown says when patients come to the rebuilt clinic they'll be floored by the improvements.

"This is going to be a lovely facility, its designed for safety in terms of both patients and staff being able to see everyone, its going to be way better with nice big windows looking outside and we're going to build a little garden outside the cancer centre."

The Cancer Care Centre is expected to be completed by next year.