SASKATOON — Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital is set to increase its inpatient capacity by 40 per cent. The new multi-story tower will offer more services for residents of Saskatchewan’s northern communities.
According to the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement, the new multi-storey acute care tower, if it progresses as scheduled, will be completed in the spring of 2028 and, once completed, could handle 242 inpatients instead of 173. The ministry will provide an update in the coming months.
“As the population of northern Saskatchewan continues to grow, we must also grow our access to health care services. The expansion of Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert will increase our northern residents' healthcare capacity in several ways,” said the Ministry of SaskBuilds.
Once completed, the multi-story tower will have a heliport on the room, an expanded emergency department, larger operating rooms, pediatrics, maternity, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, new medical imaging, and a First Nations and Métis Cultural space, among other key services.
“This expansion will see a larger ED, contributing towards local and system capacity needs. The new operating rooms will be larger, more modern, and designed to accommodate current and future surgical techniques,” added SaskBuilds.
PAVH and SaskBuilds officials also anticipate that the well-organized physical layout will increase surgical capacity. The hospital’s mental health wing will also expand to 43 from 29, including four beds for older youth.
In a separate statement sent to SaskToday, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said it is committed to hiring the necessary healthcare professionals to provide the services provincial residents receive in the wing.
Once completed, the facility will offer general surgery, internal medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and anesthesiology services. The hospital campus will also be home to Pineview Terrace Nursing Home and Herb Bassett Nursing Home.
Brief and Social Detox, Boreal Healthcare Foundation, Adult Mental Health, Child and Youth Mental Health, Family Treatment Centre, Victoria Square Professional Building and Tom Smith-Windsor House will also have facilities in the new tower.
Prince Albert is the province’s gateway to the north, serving the population in Saskatchewan’s northern communities. PAVH is usually the first stop for those seeking healthcare services before moving to Saskatoon or Regina and the last stop before being discharged.
Since launching the in September 2022, the ministry has invested more than $300 million in its initiatives to recruit, incentivize, train, and retain healthcare workers in the province.
“The Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency is fully operational and focused on connecting with future graduates and medical residents in Saskatchewan who are out of province,” said the Ministry of Health.
The provincial government has also spent more than $1.3 million in bursaries and scholarships to encourage students to pursue a healthcare career, creating approximately 870 new training seats in 33 healthcare programs at post-secondary institutions across the province.
“The government will continue to build on this ambitious HHR Action Plan to stabilize further and strengthen essential healthcare services for residents,” the Ministry of Health added.
Construction partners
PCL Construction is the general contractor for the hospital’s $898-million redevelopment project, with Pow City Mechanical as a partner. Classic Fire + Life Safety was selected to oversee designing and installing various fire sprinkler systems, such as wet, dry, special hazard, and foam systems.
Classic Fire, which became part of the Classic group of companies in early 2024, has a strong reputation in Saskatchewan for delivering large-scale and complex fire protection systems. The PAVH project marks the company’s most significant undertaking in Western Canada.
“We are grateful and honoured to have been selected as a partner for this flagship project. Over the years, we have built great relationships with leading mechanical and general contractors and have demonstrated our ability to deliver successful installations for projects of this size, complexity and importance. Earning a spot on this all-star team is a milestone that reflects Classic’s commitment to excellence in fire safety engineering and installation,” said Classic’s Director of Operations for Western Canada, Matthew Neil.
Northern Sprinkler Design and APEX Fabrication & Supply, members of the Classic companies, will also participate in engineered drawings, materials, and delivery. Installation began in the summer of 2024, and substantial completion is anticipated by the spring of 2028.
