Saskatchewan MP shares vison for new northern university

EDUCATION Saskatchewan MP shares vison for new northern university By Chris Carr Global News Posted August 28, 2026 7:22 pm 3 min read WATCH: A Saskatchewan MP is laying the groundwork for a new university in northern Saskatchewan. Desnethé-Missinippi- Churchill River MP Buckley Belanger shared his vision Friday in Prince Albert and said the school would play a critical part in creating opportunities for people in the north. LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE A Saskatchewan MP is laying the groundwork for a new university in northern Saskatchewan. Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River MP Buckley Belanger shared his vision Friday in Prince Albert, Sask., and said the school would play a critical part in creating opportunities for people in the north. The announcement marks a starting point for the formation of an exploratory process for the establishment of a university in northern Saskatchewan. The idea is still in the very early stages. But Belanger says this work is a major step forward in rebuilding the north. “Local university training in the north is what I consider critical infrastructure in rebuilding the north,” said Belanger. Belanger said any path forward would need to be in close collaboration with the province, northern and Indigenous leadership, plus existing post-secondary institutions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT The exploratory process being launched now brings those voices together to look at what is possible. The expertise of Geordy McCaffrey will be key in that work in the coming months. Get breaking Ottawa news Get breaking Ottawa news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING OTTAWA NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. He has more than 30 years of experience developing university opportunities for Indigenous students through his work at Gabriel Dumont Institute, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina. “As an exploratory process, we want to get out and engage with 30 to 50 stakeholders and find out from Indigenous leadership what their thoughts are, what their needs are,” said McCaffrey. As to what the school could look like to those who attend, McCaffrey pointed out that a university can take on many…