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Nearly two years after plans for an urgent care centre in Saskatoon were unveiled, ground has finally been broken.
Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments (ACD) and the provincial government on Wednesday announced the signing of the final development agreement under which construction is expected to start this fall.
The province and Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments announced a memorandum of understanding in 2022 for an urgent care centre at the former location of Pleasant Hill School. In April 2023, a preliminary agreement was signed, leaving the two parties to jointly develop the centre. This past May, ACD and the provincial government announced the signing of an interim project development agreement.
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Wednesday’s joyful announcement, contrasted by cloudy skies and rain in Saskatoon, “marks the culmination of all the hard work that has gone into this project to date,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister Terry Jenson said.
The location, at 215 Avenue S South, is one block from St. Paul’s Hospital. The province bought the site in December 2022. It’s large enough to accommodate the new centre and its proximity to St. Paul’s is expected to help ease capacity pressures in the hospital’s emergency room.
The facility will provide mental health supports and an alternative to the ER for people with non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses. The plan is for the UCC to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It will be operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, under a long-term lease with Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments. The facility will be built by Graham Construction.
“Soon, residents of this community and surrounding area will benefit from an alternative option to meet their urgent health-care needs,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said.
According to the province, the design is an adaptation of the existing urgent care centre in Regina. Foundation work on the Saskatoon project is expected to begin in the coming weeks, “with substantial completion of construction targeted for spring 2026,” the province said.
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According to the province, the urgent care centre in Regina — which opened earlier this summer — has been receiving an average of 110 patients per day.
Premier Scott Moe said he was “very pleased” to have reached the agreement with ACD.
“I appreciate their ongoing cooperation and willingness to work toward the common goal of improving access to health care for all Saskatchewan people,” Moe said on Wednesday.
The need for such facilities in Saskatoon and Regina has been made abundantly clear.
Over the past year, the province launched a set of hospital capacity pressure action plans in Saskatoon and Regina to address a rise in the number of patients, space and staff shortages, overcrowding in ERs and patients being treated or triaged in hallways.
Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Andrew Will said the centre will feature multi-disciplinary staff, provide collaborative services and “enhance timely access to urgent care for patients.”
According to the province, Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments will retain the former Pleasant Hill School building and will incorporate it into future development plans.
“Let us not think of ourselves, but of our children’s children,” Chief Larry Ahenakew said.
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