(Photo: From left to right- Desiree Gervais, VP of HR & Corporate Relations, SIGA, Pat Wier, Chair of the Equip the Vic Campaign, Chief Reginald Bellerose, Chair of SIGA’s Board of Directors, SIGA, Chief John Waditaka, Wahpeton Dakota Nation, Prince Albert Grand Council, Chief Peter A. Beatty, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Prince Albert Grand Council, Cody Barnett, CEO, Boreal Healthcare Foundation. Provided by Boreal Healthcare Foundation.)
The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has made a $375,000 donation to the Boreal Healthcare Foundation’s Equip the Vic Campaign.
The campaign aims to ensure that the redeveloped Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert is fully equipped with furniture, fixtures, and equipment on opening day to meet the needs of northern residents.
“The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority is proud to make a $375,000 contribution to the Victoria Hospital Redevelopment and Expansion Program—Equip the Vic—Better Care Close to Home for Prince Albert. This gift will help tens of thousands of northern Saskatchewan residents access care closer to home. Our Community Investment Program invests $1.89 million each year in the communities where SIGA Casinos operate, including Northern Lights Casino, here in Prince Albert,” said Zane Hansen, SIGA President and CEO.
The donation made by SIGA today will go towards expanding the hospital’s Adult Inpatient Mental Health Unit and adding an art studio, as well as creating a First Nations & Métis Health Spiritual Care Centre.
The Spiritual Care Centre will support patients and families from admission through discharge. Staff will be able to assist with communication between healthcare teams and patients, support inclusion of traditional healing practices, coordinate medical transportation and language translation, and offer culturally safe guidance for understanding treatment and discharge plans.
“This gift from SIGA is a powerful act of leadership that reflects our shared commitment to equity in healthcare. By supporting spaces that promote healing, dignity, and cultural safety, SIGA is helping us build a hospital that belongs to everyone and supports everyone, regardless of which corner of Saskatchewan they call home,” said Cody Barnett, CEO of the Boreal Healthcare Foundation. “The Victoria Hospital Redevelopment is being shaped in partnership with community voices, and together, we are creating a facility that reflects the values and needs of the people this facility serves. This is how we change healthcare—not just for today, but for generations to come.”
(Photo: rendering of the redeveloped Victoria Hospital)
The redevelopment of the Victoria Hospital is set to increase capacity by 40% to better serve the over 150,000 northern residents who utilize the hospital. Construction on the expansion kicked off in 2024 and is expected to be complete in the spring of 2028.