Points Athabasca Supports Kidney Care at St. Paul’s Hospital 

November 5, 2026 in Giving Back People
Explorer: Fall 2026

For people living in Saskatchewan’s Far North, accessing specialized healthcare often means travelling long distances away from home and family. Points Athabasca is helping make that experience a little easier through a $150,000 donation to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation’s By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign. 

Points Athabasca is majority-owned by ABD, which represents seven Athabasca Basin communities. The company provides construction and industrial services, with a focus on creating employment, developing skills, and building opportunities for northern residents. “The journey toward reconciliation begins with economic opportunity,” says Lyle Bouvier, President and CEO of Points Athabasca. “When someone is employed, they have income to support their family. That’s true economic reconciliation.” 

That same commitment to supporting people and communities guided the decision to contribute to St. Paul’s Hospital. For residents of communities such as Stony Rapids, Fond du Lac and Black Lake, travelling to Saskatoon for medical care can mean a journey of more than 1,000 kilometres. Many northern residents rely on St. Paul’s Hospital for specialized services, including kidney care. “This hospital serves a large Indigenous population, especially from the North,” says Bouvier. “Because it’s important to that population, it’s important to us.” 

The By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign offers supports that can make hospital visits less stressful for patients and families. One example is the Patient Porter Program, which helps people find their way through the hospital. “For people coming from the North into a busy place like Saskatoon, having someone guide them through the hospital is a huge value-add,” he says. 

Bouvier also welcomed the campaign’s focus on culturally meaningful spaces, including the new Indigenous Healing Centre, Kikâwînaw wîki (Our Mother’s Home). “Having a culturally significant, quiet space is important; hospitals don’t always have that,” he says. 

At Points Athabasca, supporting the hospital is another way to contribute to the well-being of northern families, alongside the employment and business opportunities the company helps create. Bouvier believes everyone can play a part in supporting others, in whatever way they can. “I think it’s important that all of us, Indigenous and non- Indigenous, help others where we can,” he says. “That might be volunteering or donating if you’re able. … Giving back is important.” 

Through this donation, Points Athabasca is helping to support care that benefits people from the Athabasca Basin, Saskatoon and communities across Saskatchewan.