SASKATCHEWAN — A First Nations-led healthcare project in Whitecap Dakota Nation is receiving a new $5.4 million federal investment aimed at expanding access to medical care for remote and northern communities.

The funding will support the Virtual Health Hub’s 2026–27 operating budget, adding to more than $28.2 million previously invested by Indigenous Services Canada in construction of the facility, which is expected to open in early 2027.

The centre will use telehealth, artificial intelligence, remote-presence robotics and other emerging technologies to connect patients with healthcare professionals without requiring lengthy journeys to larger cities.

Once fully operational, the hub is expected to support 80 jobs and serve 30 communities, with plans to expand its reach to as many as 90 northern and remote communities by 2029.

The project also includes partnerships with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and the University of Saskatchewan to help train Indigenous students and healthcare professionals.

The initiative could become an important model for using advanced technology to reduce healthcare-access barriers in rural, northern and Indigenous communities across Canada.