The first landing of a STARS helicopter on a pad next to the Nipawin Hospital. (photo submitted/TLDPC)

By Susan McNeil

First landing

First STARS landing at Nipawin helipad

May 10, 2025 | 12:00 PM

An effort that started in Nipawin as a direct result of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2016 has met with success.

The first landing of a STARS medevac helicopter happened near the Nipawin Hospital on Wednesday, May 7.

The Twin Lakes District Planning Commission took on the job of spear heading the campaign to build the helipad several years ago. It’s first donation, done the year after the crash, was a $100,000 donation from the money donated offline to the Broncos following the crash that killed 17 players and staff and injured 16 others.

The team was travelling from Humboldt to Nipawin as part of that year’s SJHL playoff series which the Hawks later went on to win.

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Twin Lakes Development Planning Commission is a joint effort by the Towns of Nipawin, Carrot River and Choiceland, the Villages of Codette and White Fox, the Resort Village of Tobin Lake and the RMs of Moose Range, Nipawin and Torch River.

Private donations combined with other funding to pay the $600,000 cost of installing the heliport. A concerted push by the TLDPC began in 2022.

Before, the helicopter would have to land in a field near the hospital then transport patients in a less-than-ideal scenario. It also took multiple firefighters to manage the scene safely.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social