Lloydminster continues to wait for a replacement for the aging Jubilee Home, even as the Saskatchewan government moves ahead with new long-term care homes in Estevan and Watson.
The Jubilee Home, built in 1985, serves Saskatchewan residents in Lloydminster and currently operates with fewer than 50 long-term care beds. Despite years of advocacy from families, community groups and local officials, no request for proposal has been issued for a replacement facility.
Frustration over the lack of local long-term care capacity surfaced publicly in October during a meeting between Mayor Gerald Aalbers and members of the Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society.
“Our people are being shipped out,” said Dr. Raf Saeed, a society member and advocate for change. “Some of them never make it back. We need to stop talking about provincial responsibility and start acting locally.”
Saeed urged the city to explore a municipally managed long-term care facility similar to Pioneer Lodge and House on the Alberta side of Lloydminster.
Aalbers acknowledged the shortage but said health care decisions ultimately fall under provincial jurisdiction.
“I can’t stop a health authority from moving people,” Aalbers said. “We can help advocate and support, but at the end of the day, it’s a provincial responsibility.”
According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Jubilee Home, located near Lloydminster hospital, remains in “good” overall condition based on a recent facility condition assessment. SHA has said routine upgrades are required in older buildings and has planned an approximately $800,000 boiler replacement in 2026 as part of ongoing maintenance.
At the same time, long-standing community proposals have called for a significantly larger replacement facility to meet local demand and reduce the need to place seniors in other communities when beds are unavailable.
Against that backdrop, the province announced this week it has issued Requests for Proposal for two new long-term care homes elsewhere in Saskatchewan.
The RFPs seek third-party proponents to design, build, maintain and operate new long-term care facilities in Estevan and Watson. Contracts for both projects are expected to be in place by summer 2026.
“Our government is committed to providing the best health care for Saskatchewan seniors and safe, comfortable homes for those requiring long-term care,” Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr said. “The third-party approach will be the most efficient and cost-effective option and is expected to expedite delivery of both Watson and Estevan long-term care home projects.”
The new Estevan long-term care home will add 65 beds, bringing the community’s total to 135. The preferred site previously announced remains an option, though the province says all viable site proposals submitted through the RFP will be considered.
“My heart is warmed with the news that the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home project is moving ahead,” said Don Kindopp, chair of the New Estevan Regional Nursing Home Committee. “Our elders deserve to live in a more home-like environment supported by the continuation of the excellent care they now receive.”
The Watson project will replace the Quill Plains Centennial Lodge, increasing capacity from 52 to 60 beds. The RFP also includes replacement of the attached health centre, which will continue to be operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority under a lease-back arrangement.
“When we started discussing the replacement of our long-term care facility, we were alarmed by the estimated costs to our communities and the Saskatchewan taxpayers,” said Norma Webber, chair of the Quill Plains Health Care Foundation. “A huge thank you to our Health Ministers for hearing us out and working together on an alternative way to build a new home without compromising quality of life and care for our residents.”
Both facilities will be owned and operated by third-party providers, but will be required to meet all Saskatchewan regulations and standards.
The 2025-26 provincial budget set aside more than $400 million for acute and long-term care facility replacement and expansion projects across Saskatchewan, including $4 million to advance the Watson and Estevan projects.
For Lloydminster families, the announcement highlights a familiar concern: watching long-term care projects move ahead in other communities while plans for a Jubilee replacement remain unresolved.
