NIPAWIN — The Town of Nipawin and the Saskatchewan Health Authority has hammered out an agreement for a duplex used to house medical professionals.
At council’s regular meeting on May 13, the decision was made to enter into two separate lease agreements with the authority.
Until now, there had not been a formal land lease in place. For the last decade the town has owned the duplex, while the land was owned by the Kelsey Trail Health Region. When the province’s health regions merged, the authority took over title of the land.
“There had not been a formal land lease at that time. In a manner of speaking, the town was squatting on that property,” said Barry Elliott, Nipawin’s administrator. “Now that we are working toward the formal land lease, that has been corrected and all the legal elements are in place to formally lease that tract of land.”
A land lease has now been approved for this purpose, at a cost to the town of $1 per year.
“It’s a good, co-operative agreement between the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Town of Nipawin,” Elliott said.
The second agreement leases the doctor duplex itself to the authority.
Under the provisions of this lease, the authority will rent both sides of the duplex to health professionals. The lease provisions require the authority to cover all annual operating costs and provide a monthly amount for eventual capital improvements. The net result of these provisions will result in no costs being incurred by the town for the operation of this facility.
Elliott said these new leases provide continued stability for health professional support and accommodation.
“It’s valued by the health authority because the town is providing that opportunity for them, that facility for them, and they’ve reciprocated by making sure that the town can be comfortable that we have a formal land lease in place and that there is no concern about the continued provision and location of that facility.
