SASKATOON — A new mobile mammography unit was launched on Thursday, Dec. 18, replacing the old bus that has criss-crossed the province for two decades to aid far-flung communities. The project is a multi-agency effort by the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Kinsmen Foundation, with financial support of over $2 million. At the same time, the provincial government will fund the mobile unit's operations and staff it with two permanent mammogram technicians.
Officials, led by Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan Health Authority COO Derek Miller, Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan founding CEO Nora Yeates, Kinsmen Foundation Vice Chair Michelle Stepp, and Cancer Foundation President and CEO Deb Bulych, joined officials and staff of their respective agencies and several breast cancer survivors in unveiling the new custom-built mobile unit at Prairieland Park’s Hall E.
Cockrill said the government, as part of the 2025-2026 budget, allocated $148,000 for operational costs, with the SHA providing an additional $175,000 to support the implementation of a second mobile unit, which will be unveiled next spring. The equipment used in the current mobile unit, which will now be retired, is outdated, and the new vehicle has the latest mammogram machine to help women in the early detection of breast cancer.
“Early detection is the best tool that we have in the province in fighting [any form of] cancer. We are making sure patients get the best possible experience. Having this unit rolling, starting on [Monday], Jan. 5, in Estevan, is a significant step forward for what we can do for patients. Then, the eligibility age for mammogram screenings is a significant policy shift by this government,” said Cockrill.
“We have 45 [years old] right now, and will go down to 43 [starting Friday], Jan. 2, and then 40 later in July 2026. Now, we’re adding more access points, including the eight screening sites across the province. But this unit is meant to help people reduce travel time so that they can be closer to their families. This is absolutely massive in terms of putting patients first.”
The province has two permanent mammogram screening facilities in Saskatoon and Regina, and has satellite units in Moose Jaw, Lloydminster, Swift Current, Prince Albert, Yorkton, and North Battleford. The mobile unit, which has two changing rooms and a wheelchair lift, will require only 10 minutes of screening after the patient is registered and assessed by the technicians.
Bulych said a single unit screens approximately 7,400 women per year, of the about 35,000 screened last year, across the 42 communities the current mobile unit has visited, and having a second unit operating in spring 2026 would double that number. The mobile unit accounts for roughly one-third of all screenings performed in the province and visits communities from as far as La Loche in the north to Estevan and Weyburn in the South every two years. Having two mobile units will allow annual visits.
“[Screening] is important in terms of future treatment and planning for women with breast cancer, as 75 per cent of women who are diagnosed are the result of being screened at an earlier stage, with cancer becoming almost a chronic disease now, with years of treatment and multiple treatments available. The earlier we can detect cancer, the more treatments are available, and the better patient outcomes, because new treatments are coming online all the time,” added Bulych.
Miller said that the SHA can’t wait to see the new mammography unit operational, and they are proud of the project that will expand access to high-quality breast imaging for the 42 rural communities in Saskatchewan, as patients will be visited based on scheduling and booking by the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.
"Mobile units now deliver nearly one-third of the province's screening mammograms each year, helping patients get the care they need closer to home. My sincere thanks to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and the donors working toward a shared goal of better care for patients,” added Miller.
