Dr. James Irvine and his wife Trudy Connor have been residents of La Ronge since 1981. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

giving back

Couple donates $300K for dialysis treatment in La Ronge

May 8, 2025 | 5:27 PM

A $300,000 donation to support dialysis treatment in La Ronge from long-time residents Dr. James Irvine and Trudy Connor will provide a long-lasting impact for northerners.

“The idea of having a new long-term care in our community to help people stay in the community rather than having Elders travel south is a real tremendous benefit, and we wanted to participate with that,” Irvine explained.

“When we saw all of the different options we could donate to, we felt a real passion for this idea of supporting people who need dialysis. Certainly, in the past and even presently, we see people who have to travel from the North [to] down South regularly for dialysis. We’ve had friends who had to travel from La Ronge or actually moved into La Ronge to be a little closer to P.A. and then had to travel two or three times a week for dialysis.”

Specifically, the couple’s donation will cover the cost of two dialysis rooms, including the equipment and all of the furnishings. The rooms will have home dialysis machines and will allow patients who are busy during the day to come in the evening or overnight and receive treatment.

Irvine and Connor moved to La Ronge in 1981. Irvine came to La Ronge as a family doctor and Connor worked in health promotion with the Department of Northern Saskatchewan. Throughout the years, Irvine became the medical health officer for the northern half of the province, while Connor worked in a variety of jobs, which were primarily in education with adults and children with disabilities.

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Connor noted that health has always been a big part of their lives, and contributing to the community to make it a healthier place to live has always been a priority for them.

“We just can’t imagine how hard it must be for people when there isn’t dialysis here to go further south so often, whether that’s for how hard it is for them physically with no bus system, how hard the transportation is, how expensive it is to go south, how unfamiliar everything might be,” she said.

Jacob Page, the fundraising coordinator for the new long-term care facility, stated the couple’s generosity reflects their lifelong dedication to La Ronge and Northern Saskatchewan and their passion for accessible healthcare in the North.

“Their support doesn’t stop there,” he wrote in an email to larongeNOW.

“James and Trudy take the time to meet for coffee, attend our information sessions, and offer guidance and support whenever we reach out. We are incredibly grateful for their leadership and commitment to bringing healthcare closer to home.”

So far, $976,828 has been committed toward the $5 million goal, and Page is continuously working with multiple potential donors. Other donors Page wanted to highlight include LakeShore Towing and Septic, and the Riese family for their donations.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com