New Saskatoon urgent care centre to be built at current Pleasant Hill school location

Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments and the Government of Saskatchewan have reached an agreement to construct a new urgent care centre in Saskatoon.

The centre will offer 24-hour assistance to residents with non-life-threatening conditions as well as offer mental health and addiction support. The Pleasant Hill Community School currently at the location will be demolished.

During an announcement Friday, Minister of Health Paul Merriman said the new urgent care centre will provide an alternative for residents needing immediate care and is expected to ease pressures on hospital emergency departments.

The centre will be constructed and run by the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. It will offer 24-hour care for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries as well as offer mental health and addiction support. It will be staffed by medical professionals and will be overseen by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

The chosen location is close to St. Paul’s hospital and currently features the Pleasant Hill Community School. Colleen MacPherson, chair of Saskatoon Public Schools, said the school will close at the end of this school year. Students will be transferred to King George School in the fall. The current 95-year-old school building will be demolished by Saskbuilds.

“The school will be knocked down, but there will be pieces incorporated in the facility. We are not going to use the physical bones of this school,” Minister Merriman said.

After the school, built in 1928, is knocked down, Saskbuilds will transfer the land over to Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments in July. The land will then be designated as a reserve and will become Treaty 6 Ahtahkakoop territory.

Raymond Ahenakew, Chief of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, called it a historic development.

“We have an agreement between the province, the city and the First Nation, that this will be treaty six Ahtahkakoop land,” the Chief said.