WHITECAP DAKOTA NATION, TREATY 6 TERRITORY, SK,
July 24,
2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu,
Minister of Indigenous Services, alongside Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota Nation,
announced $15 million to support the
construction of the first thermal style spa in Saskatchewan, Dakota Dunes Thermal Spa. The
total cost of the project is expected to reach $52 million. Whitecap Dakota Nation has secured equity and financing
for the remaining investment.
The spa, which will be built adjacent to both the Dakota Dunes
Resort, Casino and Golf Course, is expected to
generate 320 construction jobs and an additional 166 operational
jobs for residents in Whitecap Dakota Nation and the nearby
City of Saskatoon. It will also
boost the attendance and occupancy of the existing resort amenities
and create a new tourism destination for Saskatchewan.
The new spa incorporates thermal waters therapy including
saunas, steam rooms, cold plunge pools, hot tubs and relaxation
areas typical with current thermal style spas but infuses
Indigenous elements, design features and themes throughout the
facility that will provide a unique experience not currently found
anywhere in Canada.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has also invested more than
$2 million towards this project
through the Community Opportunity Readiness and Lands and Economic
Development Services Programs to cover costs such as architectural
fees for concept, block schematic, design and construction. This is
one example of how Canada is
working with Indigenous partners to advance the right to
self-determination in keeping with the United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, by bolstering economic
self-determination in communities. This is a key step to implement
measure 74 in our UN Declaration Act Action Plan.
Quotes
"There are over 300 Thermal spas in Canada and the USA. The $52
million Dakota Dunes Thermal Spa will be the first one in
Saskatchewan and the first
indigenous themed thermal spa in Canada. It will truly make the Dakota Dunes
Resort a world class destination."
Chief Darcy Bear
Whitecap Dakota Nation
"Whitecap Dakota Nation is
quickly becoming a touristic hub in Saskatchewan. This expansion will help
reinforce that, attract more people, and create more good-paying
jobs for the community. It moves us further on the path to economic
reconciliation and will help everyone get a fair chance to
succeed."
The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for
FedNor
Quick facts
- Whitecap Dakota Nation is
located approximately 25 kms south of Saskatoon, SK.
- Whitecap Dakota Nation's tourism
industry provides employment to approximately 530 Indigenous and
non-Indigenous full- and part-time employees through the Dakota
Dunes Casino, Dakota Dunes Hotel, and the Dakota Dunes
Golf links, with approximately 70 percent being Indigenous.
- Through the Government of Canada's Community Opportunity Readiness
Program (CORP), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) works with First
Nations and Inuit communities to provide funding to support the
pursuit of economic opportunities, including projects such as
feasibility studies, business plans, the establishment of
community-owned businesses, and the construction of economic
infrastructure.
- The Lands and Economic Development Services Program (LEDSP)
provides support to First Nation and Inuit communities to assist
with enhancing the economic development, land and environmental
capacity of communities and to support the establishment of the
conditions for economic development to occur, increasing their
participation in the economy.
Associated links
Whitecap Dakota First Nation
Community Opportunity Readiness Program
Lands and Economic Development Services Program
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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada