Thunderchild Wellness Centre

completed

The proposed Project will construct an approximately 90,000 square foot community Wellness Center that will meet the needs of the Thunderchild First Nation as well as the surrounding communities of Turtleford, St. Walburg, Edam, Spruce Lake, Mervin, Live Long, Glaslyn, Turtle Lake, Witchekan Lake, Pelican Lake, Makwa Lake, and Loon Lake. The facility will serve primarily First Nations communities, but is open to all. The Center will include a dental office, a family physician, a pharmacy, social and childcare services (this includes non-for-profit daycare services), a full-sized ice surface, a field house, and a concession stand. The second floor of the center will be built to accommodate a variety of events such as weddings, Band meetings, and other community gatherings. Having these services and amenities in one community center will increase the opportunity for healthy lifestyle development, and will give the community better access to services that would be hard to otherwise reach. As stated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action 18, the current state of health care for Indigenous peoples is not at the level that it should be. By incorporating a dental office, family physician, pharmacy, and social services together in one convenient location, the level of access increases and provides better overall health care to Indigenous communities surrounding the Centre. The health care availability then ties directly to Action 18 by supporting the improvement of Indigenous wellness, both by increasing general health and by reconciling the intergenerational impact of residential schools. The Thunderchild First Nation has confirmed that the Project will meet or exceed the highest energy efficiency standards for buildings in Saskatchewan; will meet or exceed the requirement of the highest published accessibility standard, code, or by-laws; is community oriented, non-commercial in nature and open for public use; will benefit communities not livin