Health Minister Everett Hindley, Whitecap Dakota First Nation Chief Darcy Bear, Premier Scott Moe, Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation Chief Larry Ahenakew, and Martensville-Warman MLA Terry Jenson, broke ground for Saskatoon's new urgent care centre on Sept. 18, 2024. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

By CKOM News Staff

Construction soon to begin at Saskatoon urgent care centre

Sep 18, 2024 | 2:33 PM

Construction of an urgent care centre will soon begin in Saskatoon.

Representatives from the provincial government and Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments signed the final development agreement and broke ground at the site of the new facility on Wednesday to kick off the project.

The care centre will be built at 215 Avenue S South, near St. Paul’s Hospital, in order to help relieve some of the pressure on that facility’s emergency department. Work on the foundations is expected to begin this fall, with “substantial completion of construction” expected in the spring of 2026. Graham Construction & Engineering Inc. has been chosen as the builder.

The urgent care centre is intended to offer urgent, non-emergency care to those who cannot see a primary care provider on short notice, and patients will be served on the basis of urgency.

“Soon, residents of this community and surrounding area will benefit from an alternative option to meet their urgent health care needs,” Everett Hindley, Saskatchewan’s health minister, said in a statement.

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The design for the centre was adapted from the urgent care centre in Regina – the province’s first such facility – which opened its doors on July 2. According to the Government of Saskatchewan, the $18.7 million facility has seen an average of 110 patients per day since it opened, and has helped nearly 7,000 people in total.

The centre will be operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority under a long-term lease with Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments.

The centre is being built on the site of the former Pleasant Hill School, and the provincial government said Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments will retain the former school building “and will incorporate the well-known community landmark into their future development plans.”

“The future Saskatoon Urgent Care Centre will enhance timely access to urgent care for patients, and today’s groundbreaking event is an exciting step in making this new facility a reality,” Andrew Will, CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said in a statement.

“The Urgent Care Centre will see a multi-disciplinary team providing collaborative care to patients with illness, injury and mental health and addictions needs. I would like to thank our partners from the Government of Saskatchewan and Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments for advancing this important project.”