Sask. NDP reignites conversation about new hospital in Yorkton

WATCH: The Saskatchewan NDP says they’re committed to building a new hospital in Yorkton if they form government in 2028.

The Saskatchewan NDP reignited the conversation about a new hospital in Yorkton, promising to build one in the community if the party forms government in 2028.

“The people of Yorkton and the surrounding area have waited far too long for a new hospital,” NDP MLA Jared Clarke said during a press conference front of the Yorkton Regional Health Centre on Thursday morning.

The construction of a new hospital is not a new idea, and it generally holds the community’s support in Yorkton. The Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan originally started its ‘Farming for Health’ project to fundraise for the new facility.

They received land from the city, and with the help of businesses and experts, they grow canola to raise money. After over a decade, there is still no hospital in sight and the organization now collects funds for medical equipment, among other things.

• ‘You’d like to see a timeline’: New Yorkton Regional Hospital gets another feasibility study in 2022-23 budget

The Yorkton Regional Health Centre opened to the public in 1962. Clarke referred to it as “a 63-year-old facility that’s unable to meet today’s need.”

The NDP MLA said the party toured the facility earlier this year.

“We know that there are great teams and health care teams inside the building doing great work, but the building itself is not cutting it anymore,” Clarke said in his speech.

According to the NDP, there is no hot water in the maternity ward, the emergency room is too small, and the HVAC system, laboratories as well as the ambulance entrance are in need of major rebuilds. Clarke added that, “patients don’t have access to internet or TV services in the hospital currently.”

To questions about the budget, he said the NDP has no exact figures.

“We know that the feasibility report that was commissioned back in 2012, pegged the construction cost around $300 million. Clearly, that’s over a decade old.”

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Despite the cost, he said the NDP is committed to the construction.

“We’re ready and committed to do what it takes to build this new hospital, to make sure that there’s housing here for recruiting new health care workers, because we know housing is an issue in Yorkton, and making sure that the municipal infrastructure is ready to support an upgrade or a new hospital here in Yorkton,” he said.

Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle told CTV News via e-mail that healthcare is vital to the city and the region’s residents.

“The city has long recognized the importance of a new hospital and is actively planning for its future, including the establishment of a hospital levy and a partnership with the Farming for Health Project,” Kienle said.

He added that “the city remains committed to long-term planning, regional collaboration, and investment that support the health and well-being of residents across Yorkton and the surrounding area, and to advocating for the people we serve.”

In an e-mail, Yorkton’s Sask. Party MLA David Chan told CTV News that improving health care in Yorkton and area “remains one of [his] highest priorities.”

In his response, Chan emphasized the opening of a new medical clinic on Broadway Street earlier this month, which brought three new family physicians to the city with preparations underway to recruit three more.

The MLA said that following the major developments in Weyburn, La Ronge, and Prince Albert, “Yorkton’s is on the way. Planning and design for our new regional health centre are already in motion.”

The Government of Saskatchewan said they will deliver on their commitment to construct a new hospital, as they did - among others - in Moose Jaw, Humboldt, and Maple Creek.

According to their response to CTV News, “[s]ince 2007, our government has invested almost $4 billion, including over $600 million in 2025-26, in major capital projects, maintenance, and equipment upgrades.”

“Strategic investments in 2025-26 include advancing construction on major projects including the new hospital in Weyburn, the new long-term care facility in La Ronge, the major expansion of Prince Albert Victoria Hospital, and the addition of 109 additional acute care beds at Saskatoon City Hospital.”