Province commits to rebuild Saskatoon lodge for out-of-town cancer patients
CTV
The province announced plans to rebuild the Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge Tuesday.
The province announced plans to rebuild the Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge Tuesday.
After closing in 2020 when the foundation of the structure was deemed no longer structurally sound, the lodge was temporarily moved to Parkville Manor. The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency has been searching for a permanent site ever since.
"We're really grateful to Parkville Manor. They filled in by helping us provide a service when we needed them, but owning your own facility, there's just something so much better about that," Saskatchewan Cancer Agency president Deb Bulych said.
Reusing the existing space on College Drive is seen as beneficial for the province, the cancer agency and patients. There's no need to find another site and work on rezoning permits, and the lodge will once again be just a few blocks away from the Saskatoon Cancer Centre at Royal University Hospital.
"Person-centered care is something we greatly focus on at the cancer agency. Having cancer is one part of their journey," Bulych said. "The lodge allows us to care about people's accommodation needs, and there absolutely are patients who, without the lodges, may choose to not have treatment."
Out-of-town patients needing a place to stay will pay $40 a day for accommodations, meals and snacks. Once open, the new facility will have room for 33 patients and 17 companions and is expected to see 420 patients per year.
Cancer survivor Terry Gasior knows the value of the lodge all too well. Travelling from Eston for his treatments and follow-up appointments, Gasior said the staff, the food and the accommodations made him feel comfortable and at home.
