‘Home away from home’: New cancer patient lodge to be built in Saskatoon

A new cancer patient lodge will be built in Saskatoon, offering vital accommodation for patients from rural areas who need a place to stay during their treatment and recovery.

The Saskatchewan government and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency announced on Tuesday that the project is advancing into the design phase.

It will replace the original lodge that closed down in 2020 due to structural issues. Since then the service moved to Parkville Manor in a temporary solution.

The new lodge will be built on the original site close to Royal University Hospital and Saskatoon Cancer Centre. It will have 33 beds for those undergoing treatment and up to 17 companion spaces for those travelling with patients.

For $40 a night, patients will have access to their own private room, three nutritious meals a day, an exercise area, and a lounge space for TV, games, and puzzles.

“The lodge will be a home away from home for those undergoing cancer treatments during a difficult and stressful time in a person’s life,” said the province’s health minister Everett Hindley.

Hindley said currently there is no timeline as to when construction will start and estimates the centre will cost around $21 million, with $10m  donated through the Saskatchewan Cancer Foundation.

“We are confident donors will continue to respond generously to help family and friends who need this new cancer patient lodge,” said Saskatchewan Cancer Foundation CEO Nora Yeates.

Saskatchewan Cancer Agency President and CEO Deb Bulych said the new lodge for cancer patients will alleviate the burden of medical travel. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

The lodge will be a temporary home to 420 patients a year, according to Saskatchewan Cancer Agency President and CEO Deb Bulych.

“Each individual who comes through the doors of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency is experiencing one of the most challenging times they will ever face in their lives,” she said, noting that people living in rural and remote communities face extra challenges in finding affordable accommodation when travelling.

Bulych said the lodge has provided housing for patients as far away as Stony Rapids.

“Access to accommodations can at times be a deciding factor in their ability to get the treatment they require,” she said, adding the lodge will alleviate the burden of medical travel and ensure patients receive the treatment they need.

Bulych emphasized the significance of the “home away from home” concept, while also adding that being surrounded by a community of other cancer patients undergoing similar treatments provides additional support.

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