The facility is expected to be three storeys high and be connected to the La Ronge Health Centre. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

infrastructure project

Province commits $7.6 million toward 80-bed La Ronge long-term care facility

Apr 6, 2021 | 4:19 PM

The provincial government seems to be determined to move ahead in what could possibly become one of the largest infrastructure projects in La Ronge’s history.

The 2021-2022 budget released on Tuesday promises to build Saskatchewan by investing in long-term care and range of other projects such as hospitals, schools and highways. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is also apparent with the province’s economic recovery plan expected to take longer than anticipated. The 2021-2022 budget is forecasted to be a $2.6 billion deficit.

Included in the budget is an increase of $162 million in healthcare capital with a $7.6 million investment into an 80-bed La Ronge long-term care facility.

“In a weird way there’s a silver-lining to this pandemic,” La Ronge Mayor Colin Ratushniak said. “It’s sort of outlined where the need is and where there’s been some missing linkages in the past. It’s good that they are starting to invest in certain areas of the province that there is the need for it. I think La Ronge can be a great sort of hub for heath care moving forward.”

Ratushniak noted, however, residents need to keep in kind what the total cost for a such a facility could be and how they could potentially be impacted by it. Questions remain about how much the region could be on the hook for with some expenses associated with a large project, he said.

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The Ministry of Health informed larongeNOW in March that the project was ready to move into the advanced design stage.

With a sizable long-term care facility likely being built in the coming years and the ongoing construction of an $11.6 million, 24-bed wellness, treatment and recovery centre, La Ronge seems set to welcome an influx of health care workers along with those projects.

“It does look like we’re going to require a lot of health care personnel to take care of those positions,” Ratushniak said. “The next thing we need to do is really make sure there’s a significant investment into education and training.”

Cumberland NDP MLA Doyle Vermette also believes the construction of the new long-term care facility will be good for the tri-communities. He added it’s important to remember northerners have been advocating for such a facility for some time and it’s an issue that’s been brought to the Saskatchewan Legislature by concerned individuals before.

Vermette thinks it was time for an announcement to be made as the need for long-term care expansion in Northern Saskatchewan was evident before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re going to have some questions about the $7.6 million,” Vermette said. “I have already talked to…the critic for health, and we’ll be asking some questions about what exactly this means. I know our leaders in La Ronge will want know what exactly the $7.6 million is going to do, where are we at and what is the actually amount to build an 80-bed facility.”

Vermette also expects training for the increase of health care jobs will begin soon. He’d like many of those new positions to go to First Nations, Métis or northern residents.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno