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A reduction in how much municipalities will have to pay for capital expenses when building health care facilities is a weight off of the shoulders of some in Saskatchewan communities.
The new Patients First Health Care Plan will lower the percentage communities have to pay for construction and design costs for long-term care facilities and hospitals from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.
Larry Parrott, the Reeve of the RM of Elcapo, said the decision makes a big difference in how big the bill will be for the new Grenfell long-term care home under construction.
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“It’s been very much appreciated, and will help a lot,” he said.
The facility in Grenfell started construction in July 2025 and the 33 bed facility will be finished in spring 2027. Rural-rate payers have to come up with the cost of furniture, fixtures, and equipment that go into the facility.
“You look at inflationary factor and how that’s raised the costs for these new facilities,” Parrott said. “The impact back on local communities to raise 20 per cent of that – it was really prohibitive in a lot of cases.”
In 2018, residents of the Grenfell Pioneer Home were relocated to nearby facilities when the facility closed.
Parrott said in order to pay 20 per cent of capital expenses for the new facility, taxpayers in the area would be on the hook for around $4 million.
“Within the draw area of that facility, there’s about 1,390 or so total population – that’s not rate payers that’s total population,” he said. “When you look at $4 million dollars on that, it’s huge.”
Like many rural communities, Parrott said there have been some staffing shortages at health care facilities in the area.
He said he was pleased see new ways to attract high school students into health care careers within the plan.
The government said it wanted to work with school divisions and the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre prepare and offer education on health care positions.
“The big challenge in health care is not only on the recruitment side but on the retention side of things,” Parrot said. “It will be a lot better when its people coming from rural Saskatchewan.”
Many people have waited a long time to take a bed at the Grenfell long-term care facility.
“It’s going to serve the people who have contributed so much to this community for all their lives and we’re looking forward to it,” Parrott said.
