Whitecap breaking ground on hotel and convention centre
- EFN Staff | September 14, 2018
There were smiles all around as Whitecap Dakota Chief Darcy Bear and Councillors Dwayne Eagle and Dalyn Bear turned dirt with their partners to signal the start of construction of the Dakota Dunes Hotel. The hotel and convention centre will be nestled between the Dakota Dunes Casino and the Dakota Dunes Golf Course, adding another draw for an already bustling community.
“The hotel is an integral part of our vision that will see Whitecap become a premiere tourism destination resort in Western Canada. The hotel will also generate another 150 jobs and continue to build Whitecap as a major employer in the region,” said Chief Darcy Bear. He pointed out it was fitting to turn the sod with their partners, SIGA CEO Zane Hansen, Stephen Fay the Head of Indigenous Banking for BMO, and the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services. “This is a truly an exciting day for our First Nation as we continue on our economic path of building a sustainable community."
Minister Philpott received a personal tour of the First Nation from Chief Bear and she was quite impressed. “Seeing this community and spending time with Chief Bear, three words kept popping up. Solutions, partnerships and opportunity. Look at who has come here together today to make this happen and celebrate. The Dakota Dunes hotel project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through partnership and collaboration to foster economic growth and opportunities in Indigenous communities," said Minister Philpott who announced that Indigenous Services Canada has contributed $8.6 million to this project through the Community Opportunity Readiness Program. “Canadians in general and certainly our government understands that this is a very smart investment and it will flow back in terms of closing those socioeconomic gaps.”
The Dakota Dunes hotel project will cost about $38 million and feature Indigenous themes and décor, with 155 rooms, a fitness center, business center, a pool on the roof and a restaurant and lounge. Once completed, the hotel is projected to generate annual revenue of approximately $8.5 million and create 150 new full-time and part-time jobs within the community. The hotel is also expected to stimulate the local economy by contributing to spin-off businesses and increased visitors to area attractions such as the casino and golf course. The hotel is expected to generate $230 million in economic benefits for the Saskatoon regional economy over ten years and generate $13 million in annual government fiscal benefits.
Whitecap had already leveraged federal and provincial infrastructure money to bring proper water capacity to the First Nation, so once they found the money they were ready to build. “The biggest challenge we had would have been getting the equity put together. Certainly, the federal government's CORP program offered opportunities but it was capped at 3 million dollars. We talked to the Prime Minister about lifting the cap on certain programs and they did. And with SIGA partnering with us on the walkway link to connect to the casino and our good friends at BMO understanding how we do business, we pulled it together,” said Chief Bear.
They are not done there though. Once the hotel is built, Chief Bear says you can expect a world class spa and a beautiful garden created to host weddings to follow. Asked how he will feel when the hotel finally opens, Chief Bear was excited. “When we opened the Casino, it was like Christmas day to me, and I can see this one being just as great.”