Saskatchewan has taken the national lead in deceased organ donation, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
The province recorded 28.9 deceased organ donors per million population in 2023 — the highest rate in the country — representing a 75 per cent increase over the previous year. In 2014, Saskatchewan’s rate was just 7.2 donors per million.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill called the achievement a “remarkable milestone” and credited increased public awareness and participation in organ and tissue donation efforts.
“It is a testament to the growing awareness Saskatchewan residents have of organ and tissue donation and their commitment to saving lives,” Cockrill said in a statement.
The province is recognizing National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month throughout April, and on April 7, it will commemorate Green Shirt Day, which honours Logan Boulet, a Humboldt Broncos player who died in the 2018 bus crash. Boulet’s decision to register as an organ donor inspired nearly 150,000 Canadians to do the same.
To mark the occasion, members of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly will wear green and share photos on social media using the hashtags #GreenShirtDay and #LoganBouletEffect. The T.C. Douglas Building in Regina will also be lit in green from April 7 to 11 in solidarity with national landmarks.
The province has also committed new funding to support organ donation and kidney health. The 2025-26 budget includes an additional $319,000 for the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s (SHA) Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Program, along with a $4.3 million investment to expand and stabilize dialysis services across the province.
That funding will support nearly 30 full-time positions in Regina, Saskatoon and five rural communities, enhancing services in locations including Meadow Lake, North Battleford, Fort Qu’Appelle, Tisdale, Moose Jaw, and Regina.
Cockrill said the investments are meant to improve access to high-quality care for kidney patients and strengthen organ donation systems across the province.
“Choosing to register as an organ and tissue donor, or as a living donor, is an act of great generosity,” he said. “We urge everyone to have a conversation with their loved ones about their decision to become a donor and join our provincial registry.”
The province is also once again participating in the “Great Actions Leave a Mark” campaign, which highlights stories of living donors, transplant recipients and Saskatchewan physicians at givelifesask.ca.
Organ donation can save up to eight lives, while tissue donation can help as many as 75 people, according to the SHA.
Saskatchewan residents aged 16 and older can register to become an organ or tissue donor, or learn more about living donation.