Government of Saskatchewan finalizing sale of Valley View Centre lands

The government of Saskatchewan is in the process of finalizing sale agreements with multiple purchasers for the former Valley View Centre lands.

Five parcels of land, located in Moose Jaw’s Wakamow Valley, were put up for sale by the Ministry of Central Services last year. The request for proposals closed on Dec. 11.

All five parcels of land make up a total of 200 acres, some of which are connected by underground tunnels. The government will not disclose who the purchasers are until the sale transactions are finalized. This is expected to be done within the next two months.

“There were some conditions on the sale. We are working with the proponents to address those prior to the closure of the sale agreements,” said Alyssa Pittet, a spokesperson for the Government of Saskatchewan. It’s unknown what those conditions are.

Additionally, the government did not disclose how much the land is being sold for.

“In order to avoid any significant impact on driving market rates, it is government’s practice to hold sale amount information in confidence,” said Pittet.

The revenue from the sale will go into the government of Saskatchewan’s general reserve fund.

Valley View Centre was built in 1955 and used to house up to 1,500 people with intellectual disabilities. The government announced its plans to shut down the centre in 2012.

Over the following seven years, the government worked with Inclusion Saskatchewan and the Valley View Legacy Network to move out the remaining residents.

By 2019, 150 adults were transitioned to 36 community-based group homes.

Following the announcement of the last resident moving out, the government put the lands up for sale.