Finance Minister Donna Harpauer speaks at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday in Prince Albert. (Charlene Tebbutt/paNOW Staff)

By Charlene Tebbutt

Provincial budget

P.A. hospital funding a priority as finance minister touts latest budget

Apr 1, 2019 | 5:09 PM

There’s room at the table for more federal government participation as the city and province work toward a new hospital in Prince Albert.

That’s according to both Mayor Greg Dionne and Saskatchewan Minister of Finance, Donna Harpauer, who say the federal government has a role to play to insure First Nations and Métis are represented as plans for a new or revamped hospital take shape.

The province announced $2.5 million in funding for the hospital redesign in the budget document last month, and Harpauer said Prince Albert and area residents are sure to hear more news in the coming years.

“Services for First Nations is one that we think quite seriously should be considered so that the federal government’s a partner because the hospital here in Prince Albert serves a lot of First Nations and Métis clients,” Harpauer said. “And we’re hoping that the federal government will consider being a partner in this project.”

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Prince Albert’s mayor said he sent a letter to the federal government asking for a meeting on the issue, and plans to head to Ottawa in the next couple months, before Parliament shuts down ahead of the next election. More government funding would save the city millions of dollars.

“I believe that First Nations people haven’t had a voice in the new hospital,” Dionne said Monday. “It’s a big project.”

Harpauer was in Prince Albert Monday to talk about the 2019-20 Saskatchewan budget. Harpauer spoke at a Chamber of Commerce business luncheon at the Prince Albert Inn. Included in the budget numbers is money for improvements to Muskoday Bridge and crash bars on the Riverside Drive overpass.

Some in the room questioned Harpauer about a new tax credit for volunteer firefighters, wondering why search and rescue volunteers aren’t able to take advantage of it as well. Harpauer said that was “an oversight” and will be discussed going forward.

Brian Martin with Mont St. Joseph Home also questioned Harpauer Monday about funding for capital projects for long-term care homes. Martin said Mont St. Joseph Home is lucky to get support from the local community through its community foundation, but there often isn’t enough funding to meet all of its needs.

“Without that foundation, we’d be closing the doors, because our ultimate responsibility is to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the people who live in Mont St. Joseph Home,” Martin said. “What I’m talking about are the day-to-day, ongoing capital infrastructure needs to maintain and replace our existing infrastructure, equipment, furnishings that just naturally deteriorate and wear out over time.”

Monday was the first day Saskatchewan residents would be faced with the federal government’s new carbon tax. The province issued a news release Monday, saying it won’t charge provincial sales tax on top of the new carbon tax.

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Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt