Under cloudy skies a tent was set up in the parking lot of the River Valley Dental clinic on Friday to help the community celebrate the grand opening and ribbon-cutting event.
Tours of the new dental clinic were provided and those in attendance were able to enjoy hotdogs, cake and refreshments in the tent.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place with Nancy Brunt, Kamsack’s mayor, and Terry Dennis, Canora-Pelly MLA, in attendance.
Brunt thanked Valerie and Robert Ritchie for their contributions to the Kamsack business community.
“After many years without a dentist, it’s awsome to have a dental clinic in Kamsack,” she said. “The growth we have seen in our community is wonderful.”
Mandi Kuculym (nee Hellegards), the regional manager for group practices in Saskatchewan, thanked In Good Taste of Togo for their assistance with setting up the tent. She thanked the community for all its support, the dental team and everyone who came out to help celebrate the grand opening event.
Terry Dennis, Canora-Pelly MLA, said congratulations on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan.
“It’s great to see this new professional service in the area for it enhances the quality of life for the residents,” he said. “I wish to congratulate Robert and Valerie Ritchie on the grand opening of this clinic, as they have done so much for investing in the community and this area.”
Valerie Ritchie, owner of the building that houses the new dental clinic on Queen Elizabeth Boulevard, thanked the crowd for coming to help celebrate the grand opening of the clinic.
“It has been exciting for me to partner with the River Valley Dental group, and it’s exciting to have a dental clinic in Kamsack,” she said. “This building is known as the former Doukhobor Prayer Home, and it is an honour to be in the space that was related to spiritual healing, and it is now a place housing a profession related to oral healing. This is very positive for the community. I am pleased to say I will be able to give more details about what will be housed in the upper level of this building in the near future.”
A new dental therapist, Kylee Patoki of Nipawin, has joined the River Valley Dental team, on a part-time basis.
“I have been a dental therapist for 13 years,” she said. “I received my diploma through FNUC (First Nations University of Canada) in Prince Albert and I started my career in Birch Hills outside of Prince Albert.
“More recently I started clinics in Nipawin and Meadow Lake, and currently work at the clinic in Nipawin for Dr. Sam Mazahreh of Aspire Dental Canada, the driving force behind this clinic. I look forward to serving the Kamsack community through this new clinic.”
Patoki explained that as a dental therapist she is able to provide all basic emergency and restorative dental services such as fillings, extractions, exams and x-rays.
