The future home of a specialized long-term care facility has been selected in Regina.
The land, 390 acres located south of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina Campus, was selected as the preferred site, according to a news release from the province.
The new facility will be owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
“This is the building for the future,” Minister of Health Paul Merriman said. “It’s the largest long term care facility in the province.”
The project layout has yet to be finalized, but it is anticipated that it will be designed as a multi-storey building with a focus on creating a home-like environment. It is expected to incorporate resident care features such as individual rooms with en suite bathrooms, and indoor and outdoor multi-purpose spaces. Additional features will be shared once the design of the facility is finalized.
“Moving the project forward with a preferred site is welcome news for the SHA as well as for residents and families requiring specialized programs and services in Regina and area,” Saskatchewan Health Authority executive director of continuing care Debbie Sinnett said. “We know that the need for specialized long-term care beds is increasing and this project will go a long way in meeting the needs of those residents.”
The land was already owned by the government of Saskatchewan and is managed by the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement. It is currently undeveloped and has been used for agricultural purposes for the past several years.
“We’ve got some work to do with as far as permitting with the city,” Merriman said. “We own the land out there. So that was very easy procurement for us and reduce the costs of the overall long term care project.”
Merriman said the decision to locate just south of Sask. Polytechnic will hopefully allow collaboration with the school.
“There’s opportunities for training within this facility,” he said. “We can make sure that the people coming out of Sask. Poly are trained up and actually have some real experience right across the street.”
The project is in the pre-procurement planning phase and is a partnership between the SHA, the SBP and the Ministry of Health.
The project is expected to begin procurement this year and will work with the City of Regina on land use and approvals while working to finalize a design.
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