Indigenous students from northern communities coming to Saskatoon to attend Saskatchewan Polytechnic will now have a little piece of home right on campus. 

 Thanks to a $1 million donation, made Friday by the Malcolm J. Jenkins Family Foundation, the new Joseph A. Remai Campus will include an Indigenous Student Gathering Space.  

 Sask. Polytech President Larry Rosia says the moment is bittersweet following the recent passing of Remai, one of Saskatoon’s most prominent philanthropists. He donated $25 million to the Time to Rise Campaign, earning himself the title of namesake for the campus.

“I’m sure he’s watching and celebrating with us today, as well. This project was very near and dear to his heart,” Rosia reminisced. 

Other key donors include Nutrien, Les and Irene Dube, Cenovus Energy, and Greg and Olivia Yuel. 

With Friday’s donation, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is now one step closure to reaching its $100 million Time to Rise campaign goal, with over $70 million in the bank.

Jenkins presented the cheque Friday afternoon, stating that helping Indigenous students from northern communities feel at home in Saskatoon is an important cause for him, personally. 

 “You have folks who come in, and it’s a shock to the system for folks to try and learn and assimilate at the same time. If we can make that first step that much easier, soften that blow by making it a home away from home…this is what I hope to see us do here.”

 The gathering centre will provide students with access to Elders, food, tutoring, smudging, and a place to study. Site preparation for the new campus, located next to the University of Saskatchewan at Innovation Place, has already been completed, and construction will likely begin in spring of 2025.