The Plains Health Centre was founded by the South Saskatchewan Hospital Centre Board to provide a base hospital and other health facilities for Southern Saskatchewan. At its inception, the new facility was to be a teaching hospital affiliated with the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on 9 July 1970, after nearly three years of intensive planning by the SSHC Board and its architects. The corner stone was laid on 8 November 1973 and the Centre was opened in 1974. The new 303-bed facility provided the services of medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, neurological sciences, urology, plastic surgery, ICU/CCU and self-care; carried out all cardio-vascular surgery; provided a centre for severe multiple trauma; provided resource services to rural hospitals in the south-east region of Saskatchewan; was a teaching centre for medical, nursing, and para-medical personnel; and included research within the health field in its programs. The Centre was the first hospital in Canada built with primarily single room, self-contained accommodations. In 1992 the "Report on More Effective Hospital Care for Regina" (Atkinson report) recommended the closure of the Plains Health Centre and the consolidation of acute care in the Pasqua and Regina General hospitals. The following year, the newly-formed Regina Health District Board took over the administration of the Plains, and initiated a five-year plan ("Toward 2000") to fulfil these recommendations. The Plains Health Centre was closed in 1998. The following individuals have served as Administrator of the Plains Health Centre: Elta Brown (1976-1978), William A. Dartnell (February 1978-September 1981), Don P. Schurman (October 1981-ca. 1984), and Dick Chinn (1984-1993).

Born in Benito, Manitoba on September 13, 1950, James Michael Pitsula grew up in Saskatchewan and graduated from Campbell Collegiate in Regina in 1968. He obtained a B.A.(Hons.) in history from the University of Saskatchewan in 1972, then studied at York University in Toronto, earning his M.A. in 1973 and Ph.D. in 1979. He lectured in history at the University of Winnipeg, 1977-1978, and at the University of Regina, 1978-1979. Dr. Pitsula was appointed Assistant professor of History at the University of Regina in 1979 and was promoted to full professor in 1994. He has published several articles and reviews in Canadian social history and is the author of three books including 'An Act of Faith: The Early Years of Regina College' (Regina: Canadian Plains Research Centre, 1988).

Archibald Piper was born on February 14, 1887 in Sorn, Ayrshire, Scotland. He attended the Sorn Public School and by 1901 had become an apprentice blacksmith for his uncle at Craighill, Mauchline. He enlisted with the Ayrshire Yeomanry to serve as a soldier in the Territorial Force of the County of Ayr. Archibald was discharged on May 13, 1910 after serving for two years.

On March 19, 1910, Archibald left Scotland for Canada in search of a new life. According to the 1911 census, he was a blacksmith living in Blairmore. He later moved to the Pincher Creek area where he would meet his future wife Eliza.

At 28 years of age, Archibald enlisted in the Canadian infantry on February 18, 1915. He became a farrier Sergeant with A Squadron of the 13th Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles and trained in Calgary before departing for England on the S.S. Olympic on June 29, 1916. Eliza and their ten-month old daughter Ellen also travelled to Ilford, Essex, England in order to be closer to Archibald. Their son William Archibald Piper was born there on June 18, 1916.

Archibald travelled back to Canada after the war on March 22, 1919. Later that year he and his family moved to Tuxford, Saskatchewan where he started a blacksmith business. They had a second son Frederick James Piper on May 22, 1920. In 1929 he began selling Massey-Harris farm equipment as well as Imperial Oil. Archibald became the town Overseer and eventually Mayor of Tuxford.

Eliza Piper died in October 1940, and Frederick Piper died over Germany in 1943 during the Second World War as he was piloting a night raid. Archibald married Edith Pittman Wallin in November 1943.

In 1957 Archibald retired and moved to White Rock, British Columbia. He died on November 5, 1964.