Saskatchewan’s first-ever respiratory therapy training program has welcomed its inaugural class of 25 students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Regina campus, according to a provincial announcement.
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For families in the Lloydminster area who have watched local facilities stretch to cover specialized positions, the news lands as a small but hopeful signal. Respiratory therapists are the professionals who manage ventilators, assess breathing disorders and support patients through everything from asthma attacks to post-surgical recovery — and until now, nobody in Saskatchewan could train for that job without leaving the province.
“Offering respiratory therapy training in Saskatchewan is a significant achievement for our province, health care system and communities,” advanced education minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “For the first time, students can pursue this specialized training without leaving the province, creating a direct pipeline into a very critical profession.”
The province has invested more than $8 million to build the new Respiratory Therapy Advanced Diploma program, and all 25 seats in the first cohort filled before classes began this fall.
Health minister Jeremy Cockrill said the goal is straightforward: keep more trained professionals in Saskatchewan rather than losing them to out-of-province schools and, often, out-of-province jobs.
“By training more respiratory therapists here at home, we are strengthening our health workforce and ensuring patients can receive the right care in the right place, at the right time for years to come,” Cockrill said.
What the new program looks like
Saskatchewan Polytechnic renovated its Regina campus to add two new respiratory therapy laboratories, outfitted with the same equipment students will use once they’re working in hospitals.
“We have purchased new, specialized equipment, ensuring students develop industry-specific knowledge and train with the same modern technology they will use in the workplace from day one,” said Dr. Larry Rosia, president and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic. “As the only institution in Saskatchewan offering respiratory therapy training, we are preparing graduates to meet the province’s growing health care needs.”
Students will spend two and a half years in the program, including clinical placements at Saskatchewan health care sites — a detail that matters for smaller centres, since placements often become a pipeline into permanent jobs close to where students trained.
One of those first students, who goes by Jolly, said she didn’t set out to become a respiratory therapist but changed course after learning more about the field.
“Once I learned more about what respiratory therapists do and how they help people with breathing problems, I knew it was the right path for me,” Jolly said. “With more people facing respiratory health challenges, especially after the pandemic, I am looking forward to gaining the skills to help people and make a difference in my community.”
Why it matters for the Border City
Staffing gaps at regional facilities have been a recurring concern in the Lloydminster area, echoed in past coverage of criticism of care levels at the Lloydminster hospital and questions about how hospital designations limit the level of care available locally. A homegrown supply of specialized professionals like respiratory therapists won’t fix those gaps overnight, but provincial officials are framing it as one piece of a longer-term fix.
The respiratory therapy diploma is the fourth new health training program launched in Saskatchewan as part of the province’s Health Human Resource Action Plan and Patients First Health Care Plan, both aimed at training more health workers inside provincial borders rather than recruiting from elsewhere.
This week also marks Respiratory Therapy Week nationally, a timing officials noted was intentional for the program’s launch.
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