Optimism in La Loche, Sask., as construction starts on only hotel in town

Out-of-towners have had nowhere to stay in the northern village since its only hotel burned down years ago. That will change when the new hotel opens next year.

Optimism in La Loche, Sask., as construction starts on only hotel in town Partnership with local Indigenous communities is building 59-bed hotel Clearwater River Dene Nation Chief Teddy Clarke hopes people in La Loche are prepared for what's coming. Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for a new hotel planned for the northern Saskatchewan village. Locals have been waiting for it since the last one burned down more than a decade ago.

"Having accommodations right in La Loche is going to be a game changer," Clarke said. "Things are progressing and now people need to know that they have to be ready for change ... because we're moving up." The four-storey, 59-bed hotel will include a conference centre, restaurant and gym, plus an indoor pool and waterslide.

It's being built by a partnership between Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN), Metis Nation—Saskatchewan Local 39 and Nexgen Energy, the company building a uranium mine about 130 kilometres north of La Loche. Clearwater River, the home of CRDN, is about a 10-minute drive north of La Loche, which itself is 596 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. The mine project and exploration work by other companies is bringing a lot of people to town, which has also seen a bank and restaurants open in recent years.

Most people going there for events or meetings have to stay in Buffalo Narrows, about 100 kilometres south of La Loche. "Now instead of commuting out of town when the schools have sports events and kids come down, we're going to have a hotel," said Keith Shewchuk, president of Metis Nation—Saskatchewan Local 39. "I'm excited for the hotel because it's going to bring a lot of prosperity to the community ...

We've had a lot of things that were happening in our town that were tragic and sad, so having this kind of gives us a light of hope," Shewchuk said. Local leaders hope it's one of the sparks that ignites an economic boom for the region. "All the [mining] royalties that we're going to bring in, we're going to reinvest into the community," Clarke said.

"We're talking about an all-purpose community rec centre. We're talking about an elders' lodge, talking about building more houses ... it may not happen overnight, but it will eventually sprout."

Nexgen is financially backing the partnership — named La Loche Hotel GP Ltd. — but the company said in a news release that the deal is structured so "CRDN and MN-S Local 39 will be full owners and operators of the hotel once in operation in July 2027." CRDN and MN-S Local 39 could also receive federal funding for the project. The hotel is expected to create 36 full-time jobs for locals.

The partnership selected Saskatoon-based 3Twenty Modular to build it. Opening hotels in remote communities can help grow regional tourism and hospitality sectors, Tourism Saskatchewan said in a statement. "Increased accommodations can help unlock tourism opportunities by making it easier for travelers to experience attractions such as Clearwater River Provincial Park and the region's renowned outfitting and adventure tourism experiences," the statement said.

Saskatchewan hotel occupancy rates (averaging 62 per cent) and average daily rates ($95.14) set new records in 2025, according to Tourism Saskatchewan. Tourism spending in the province sits at about $3 billion annually.