Nicole Goldsworthy,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SASKTODAY.ca
NIPAWIN – The official sod turning for Nipawin Heliport Project was held on July 22 at the Nipawin Evergreen Centre. The Twin Lakes District Planning Commission hosted a fundraising launch in front of a full house to unveil the Heliport Project Plan.
The Twin Lakes District District Planning commission TLDPC includes participating municipalities of the Towns of Carrot River, Codette, Nipawin, Choiceland, White Fox and Tobin Lake, and the RM’s of Moose Range, Nipawin and Torch River.
“The STARS presentation was highly informative as they listed several benefits of having a heliport located adjacent to the Nipawin Hospital. During the presentation STARS stressed the critical importance of patient care at the point of handover and during transport. Saving Time Saves Lives,” said the TLDPC press release.
Since 2018, the commission has been working towards the building of the new Nipawin heliport, which will connect Nipawin with hospitals in Melfort, Prince Albert, Kelvington and Saskatoon via the growing helipad network.
Kyle Stroeder and numerous doctors, nurses and other staff from the Saskatchewan Health Authority expressed their support and appreciation of the project moving forward.
Caro Brons, mother of Dayna Brons, who was one of the thirteen individuals who passed away due to the Humboldt Broncos bus crash was there to support the project on behalf of the Humboldt Strong Community Foundation expressing her gratitude towards STARS.
Several large donations from within the Twin Lakes District were acknowledged and appreciated. The Humboldt Strong Community Foundation has donated $150,000 towards the project. “With much more work left to reach our necessary goal of $700,000 the committee will continue their efforts to complete the Heliport project.” the statement said.
Kyle Stromme said, “I was honoured to represent TLDPC Nipawin Heliport Fundraising Project as well as my community of Choiceland, where I call home, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new heliport at the Nipawin Hospital. We are getting closer to our target but there still is more donations needed to meet our goal of this much needed heliport.
“We are excited to break ground on the new heliport at Nipawin Hospital, a project made possible by the incredible generosity of our communities within the Twin Lakes geographical area. The TLDPC extends heartfelt thanks to all the local donors and supporters whose contributions have brought us to this great milestone. This heliport will greatly enhance patient care by reducing transfer times and improving overall safety. Together, we are building a brighter future for the Nipawin and area communities.”
