Crystal Refugio, a continuing care assistant student at North West College who also works at Northwest Community Lodge, attends the opening ceremony for the college’s new healthcare simulation lab in Meadow Lake on Sept. 24, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

HEALTHCARE

North West College opens $250K simulation lab in Meadow Lake to boost rural health training

Sep 25, 2025 | 10:00 AM

Crystal Refugio says North West College’s (NWC) new healthcare simulation lab feels just like stepping onto a hospital floor.

“I think it’s super cool. It definitely mimics what we work at in real life,” said the continuing care assistant student, who also works at Northwest Community Lodge.

“It’s good practice, not just for me, but for my fellow classmates too” .

The Meadow Lake campus officially opened its estimated $250,000 simulation centre on Wednesday. The lab features high-fidelity mannequins that can simulate vital signs and childbirth, as well as an eight-bed hospital unit with suction, simulated oxygen and full medication setups.

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Refugio said practicing on different scenarios helps her prepare for the unexpected.

“Even if I’m already working as a CCA [Continuing Care Assistant], like, there’s definitely still more that I could learn and it’s awesome,” she said .

College president and CEO Dr. Eli Ahlquist said the project ensures students outside big cities get equal training opportunities.

“This space matches [Saskatoon or Edmonton] in every way,” he said. “These students are going to be able to be trained locally, stay in their communities, and then return to work in these areas as well.”

“We certainly recognize the high demand for healthcare professionals in the province here and certainly in the rural and remote areas. So, our ability to provide a top notch education in a modern facility …is a tremendous advantage.”

Buddy the Buffalo, North West College’s mascot, looks over a mannequin inside the new healthcare simulation lab at the Meadow Lake campus on Sept. 24, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/meadowlakeNOW staff)

A control room with a one-way mirror is shown at North West College’s new healthcare simulation lab in Meadow Lake on Sept. 24, 2025. The setup allows instructors to observe and guide students as they work with mannequins on the other side. (Kenneth Cheung/meadowlakeNOW staff)

Ahlquist credited partnerships with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Saskatchewan’s nursing program, and said more health courses are planned. Meadow Lake’s facility joins three existing simulation labs in North Battleford.

Emily Harder, director of acute care for the Northwest at the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), said the value lies in giving learners a safe place to make mistakes and problem-solve.

“Having students be able to problem solve in an area where there’s no consequences of humans getting hurt if they make a mistake, really allows them to get confidence,” she said.

It also lets them face situations that don’t fit a simple step-by-step process, review with instructors, and make improvements before working with real patients

She added that professionals already working in hospitals also use simulation to revisit difficult cases and improve care.

“If we have a situation where we maybe felt things could be done differently, we’ll re-create it and have experienced staff in hospital care settings review and see if there’s things that we need to change or do better in order to advance our care.”

The college trains a couple hundred health students each year across programs ranging from paramedics to registered nursing. Ahlquist said the new lab means those learners in Meadow Lake can now access training “absolutely on par with any urban centers.”

(Kenneth Cheung/meadowlakeNOW staff)

Eli Ahlquist, the president and CEO of North West College. (Kenneth Cheung/meadowlakeNOW staff)

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com