I have had the pleasure of spending the summer out and about in Prince Albert again this year, where I met and visited with so many great people.
Youngsters on their trikes and two wheelers took part in the 2nd Annual Prince Albert Downtown Bike Derby in late July. The day also included face painting, tours of the PA Fire Department fire truck, and the Prince Albert Police Service Speed Zone. Thank you to the Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District and Fresh Air Experience for providing some fun for everyone who attended.
To kick off the month of August, I took part in the Prince Albert Exhibition Parade along with fellow MLAs Joe Hargrave of Prince Albert Carlton, Jim Lemaigre of Athabasca, Delbert Kirsch of Batoche, Todd Goudy of Melfort, and the Saskatchewan Party nominated candidate for Saskatchewan Rivers Eric Schmalz. It was a great kick off to Exhibition Week and was wonderful to see so many people who turned out to watch the parade.
I had the opportunity to take part at the Exhibition by helping the Prince Albert Optimists, Prince Albert Lions, and the Veselka Ukrainian Cultural and Heritage groups at their booths. Thank you to all the volunteers for your hard work; it was a pleasure to work alongside you and meet so many people during the week!
Finally, I attended a ceremony celebrating the beginning of the early construction work and site preparation for the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital. This phase includes geotechnical drilling, utility work and the construction of a new parking lot. It’s exciting to see the early construction work starting, as this means we are one step closer to beginning construction of the new hospital addition.
Upon completion, the Hospital will have 40 per cent more beds, a larger emergency department, and enhanced medical imaging services, including an MRI. This project will allow our hospital to continue serving residents of Prince Albert and surrounding areas for years to come.
Our government wants to ensure the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital and other facilities across the province are staffed with health care professionals so everyone can receive the care they need. As post-secondary students head back to school for the new school year, I want to remind you of some great training opportunities here in Saskatchewan.
Approximately 550 new training seats have been added to 18 high-priority occupations, building upon the addition of 150 nursing seats announced in 2022. The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan has added four seats to its undergraduate program for this year as well, with plans to add another four next year.
More educational opportunities are available through interprovincial training agreements. Saskatchewan students can access 15 seats at the University of Alberta in the Speech Language Pathology program and four seats at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in the Environmental Public Health Program.
Our government recently announced a new bursary program for students and recent graduates of paramedic programs who commit to joining Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Saskatchewan. The Final Clinical Placement Bursary is available to students in eligible health disciplines and has seen a high uptake with 100 bursaries approved since April.
Saskatchewan is a great place to pursue a career in health care; for more information on any of these opportunities, please visit www.Saskatchewan.ca/HHR.
Our government continues to move forward on plans for growth that works for everyone. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my constituency office by phone at 306-763-7677 or by email at panorthcote.mla@sasktel.net. You are always welcome to stop by the office at #7, 598 15th Street East.
