By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
Planning is well underway for the new hospital in Rosthern thanks to a couple of milestones reached in the last couple of months, according to Sask Valley Hospital Foundation (SVHF) administrator Guylaine Green.
The SVHF is tasked with raising funds in order to construct a new hospital to replace the old Rosthern Hospital, which was originally built in 1950 and has been identified as having some major structural issues.
While there was no specific amount of funding identified for the new facility in the 2026 provincial budget, Green said the business case that the Saskatchewan government had been working on has been approved, which means the project has officially moved into the design phase.
Another “significant milestone” for the project, Green noted, is the fact that, as of March 9, 2026, the province has reduced the community contribution requirement for the design and construction of the new facility from 20% to 10%.
Green said they expect to receive further details in the coming months about what the new, expanded hospital will include, along with a clearer picture of their overall financial goal.
“As this stage, we do not yet have a formal fundraising target as the total cost of the new facility has not yet been confirmed,” she said.
Regardless, fundraising has been proceeding well for the new hospital, as they have raised just under $9 million to date.
Green said this total includes charitable donations, fundraising events, 50/50 lotteries, proceeds from the sale of the hospital house, and contributions from the tax levies of their Twin Rivers municipal partners.
One major upcoming fundraiser is the 2026 spring fling on Saturday, May 9 at the Stations Arts Centre in Rosthern. This event will feature Brenda Lee Cotrell of Regina, a Legends tribute artist who can perform the songs of well-known entertainers like Patsy Cline, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Joni Mitchell, Loretta Lynn and others.
Green noted that as of April 24, only 40 tickets remained for the event, so anyone wishing to attend should visit the Sask Valley Hospital Foundation website (svhf.net) quickly.
She said an anonymous donor has also come forward to launch a matching donation campaign that will last until the end of May. In other words, donations to the SVHF over the next month will effectively be doubled, up to a maximum of $50,000.
Updates on that campaign will be shared through the SVHF website and their Facebook page.
One final note shared by Green is that the SVHF will be distributing a newsletter with updates on the project to as many as 4,000 residents in June. The year will then cap off with their annual 50/50 lottery.
In September 2024, a site on the southwest edge of Rosthern was identified as the preferred location for the new acute care facility.