Yorkton’s newest hotel is coming closer to reality, as a framing out ceremony took place to celebrate the new construction. Home Inn and Suites, built in partnership between d3h Hotels and the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, will bring a new Home Inn and Suites hotel to the city.

Sheldon Taypotat, Chief of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, says the project has been in the works for a long time, and was developed in order to bring opportunities to people, both within Kahkewistahaw and the surrounding communities such as Yorkton.

“It’s a dream come true in economic development,” Taypotat says.

The hotel itself will be an 89 room operation, with a spa, pool complete with water slide and meeting facilities. Taypotat says that the facility will provide new jobs for the area and they plan on working with SIGA to help bring tourist dollars to the city in partnership with the Painted Hand Casino. He believes that the close proximity to tourist attractions like the Painted Hand and the Gallagher Centre will be a big draw for people coming to the city.

“This wasn’t decided overnight, this was decided five or six years ago, it’s been a long time coming... It’s going to create opportunities for jobs, it’s going to create revenue for us to start other business ventures, and it’s going to help the people of Yorkton as well,” Taypotat says.

While it was the framing out ceremony, construction is already well underway. Taypotat explains that this was due to their desire to get construction underway as soon as possible, and that priority, combined with weather and other circumstances, meant that they were unable to do a regular ground-breaking.

Taypotat explains that they still want to celebrate the new build, and the framing ceremony was the best way to do so.

The hotel is being built with d3h hotels, and Taypotat says the partnership has been a positive one from the beginning, and he has learned a lot about building a hotel from the company.

“We wanted to work with someone who knew about hotels and construction. D3h has a number of hotels across the country so they’ve agreed to work with us and help us build,” Taypotat says.

It has taken a great deal of hard work to get to this stage, Taypotat says, and he’s proud of everyone who has worked towards the goal of a new hotel.

“I’m very proud of my membership and I’m very proud of the hotel that’s going up, it’s going to make many opportunities for people,” Taypotat concludes.

The construction is expected to be complete in December, with the first customers greeted in 2013.