Saskatchewan’s newest spa officially has an opening date. The Dakota Dunes Thermal Spa will begin accepting guests on Dec. 4. The date was announced Thursday during a tour of the facility, which remains under construction but is nearing completion. “When this spa opens, it will make Dakota Dunes Resort the number one resort in Saskatchewan,” Chief Darcy Bear, Whitecap Dakota First Nation said. The $54-million project broke ground two years ago and will become the first spa in Canada designed to connect guests to the land while incorporating Indigenous cultural customs into the spa experience. The facility will feature steam rooms, saunas and pools, offering an experience unlike any other currently available in Saskatchewan. Located steps from the golf course, the spa is part of a long-term vision for the Whitecap Dakota Dunes development. “Demonstrating that First Nations really have the capacity, and are beyond capacity, to step into places and expand and demonstrate what is possible when you have good partnership,” Minister of Indigenous Services Canada, Mandy Gull-Masty, said. The project is the latest milestone in a decades-long effort led by Bear, who became chief of Whitecap Dakota First Nation 32 years ago at age 26. His desire to create more opportunities for his people eventually led to the creation of Dakota Dunes Golf Links in 2004. Three years later, Whitecap added a casino and in 2020 the resort hotel opened, making Whitecap a recreation destination. Now, the community is preparing to add a world-class spa. “When you accept the responsibility of becoming a leader, you accept the challenges that come with it. And you take those challenges and turn them into opportunities, and you make sure you have a strong team around you to execute,” he said. Bear added the community’s work is far from finished. “We’ve done one hell of a job, and we’re not done yet,” he said. “That’s the positive thing. We’re not done.” The thermal spa will begin accepting bookings closer to its Dec. 4 opening.
