News

Whitecap Dakota Nation marks resort expansion with new spa facility

Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, alongside Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota Nation, have announced $15 million to support the construction of the first thermal-style spa in Saskatchewan, Dakota Dunes Thermal Spa.

July 25th, 2024

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.

"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," says Chief Darcy Bear, Whitecap Dakota Nation

Darrell Balkwill, CEO of the Whitecap Development Corporation; Whitecap Dakota Nation councillors Dwayne Eagle and Frank Royal; Whitecap Dakota Chief Darcy Bear; Minister Patty Hajdu; Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) third Vice Chief Aly Bear; and Bank of Montreal representative Jeff McAulay participate in a sod-turning ceremony for the Dakota Dunes Spa project. (CNW Group/Indigenous Services Canada)

Quick facts

Whitecap Dakota Nation is located approximately 25 kms south of Saskatoon, Sask.
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.