NIPAWIN — Fundraising will soon begin on the new helipad for the Town of Nipawin.
Rennie Harper, Nipawin’s mayor, announced at the Aug. 10 council meeting that the Twin Lakes District Planning Commission has received the final cost for the new helipad and now has a goal as they begin fundraising for the project.
The town will be one of nine partners that will raise the $560,000 to install the medical landing area for the Nipawin Hospital. The others are the Town of Carrot River, the Resort Village of Tobin Lake, the RM of Nipawin, Village of Codette, the RM of Torch River, the RM of Moose Range, Town of Choiceland, and the Village of White Fox.
There are no government grants available so the full amount will have to be raised by the interested parties, Harper said.
The town has already dedicated $70,000 to the helipad from the $100,000 received following the Humboldt Broncos bus crash on April 8, 2018.
The seriousness of the crash was a big proponent to Nipawin planning to install a helipad, Harper said, adding with only one hospital for a large area, it is time to get to work on this exciting project.
“We need to collectively put on our hats and roll up our sleeves and get to work and make sure that we have a heliport next to our hospital.”
Nipawin Hospital is the only hospital in Saskatchewan’s far northeast from Cumberland House to The Pas, Man.. The new helipad will connect Nipawin with hospitals in Melfort, Prince Albert, Kelvington and Saskatoon via a growing helipad network.
Other announcements made at the Aug. 10 council meeting included the resignation of Perry Trusty, Nipawin’s economic development co-ordinator. Due to a family tragedy, Trusty handed in his resignation in the previous weeks. Nipawin’s Director of Parks and Recreation will be taking on the Economic Development position until such time the town decides how the portfolio will proceed, Harper said.
