Mayor Charlie Clark says 2024 will set the bar for urban prairie life

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said he often goes to River Landing in the evenings, where he sees hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered along the South Saskatchewan River.

“Sometimes there would be a pipe band playing, and people would just be sitting there enjoying that, or there would be Latin dancing, and there would be people from all ages,” the mayor said.

Clark said the experience made him feel like he was in a bigger city, especially with the Remai Modern art gallery, the Alt Hotel and the Nutrien Tower in the background.

“That’s exciting,” he said. “That creates a city that young people want to be part of.”

The mayor said he sees Saskatoon expanding in 2024, beginning with the construction of the downtown central library that’s expected to begin in the spring, and then the continuation of the plans for a new downtown arena and entertainment district.

“We have some really core foundational plans and opportunities to build on those things, and that is a huge opportunity we have to set that standard for being a great city on the prairies,” he said.

“The library believes they can build with the existing budget they have without asking for more money, and are hoping to have shovels in the ground by spring,” he added.

Clark also teased more information that’s expected to be revealed about plans for the downtown event and entertainment district in February.

“It’s going to be a big number, because given what we’re seeing with inflation and all of those things, we have to do a problem-solving exercise,” he said.

Existing facilities like SaskTel Centre, which is now 35 years old, aren’t always capable of handling the demands of many modern shows and concerts, he said.

At the same time as that work is progressing, Clark said in 2024 he plans to keep pressing other levels of government for more help and a more co-ordinated approach to the homelessness, addictions and mental-health challenges that continue to grow in Saskatoon.

“(We must) ensure that the benefits of growth are being shared by everyone, and that we don’t have a growing divide or inequality between people in our community,” he said.

While a complex-needs shelter is expected to open its doors in the first three months of 2024, locations for two additional shelters have not yet been announced.

Other notable infrastructure projects for 2024 include the beginning of the Bus Rapid Transit project and a new east-side leisure centre, which is to be built in the Holmwood area and attached to two high schools in the rapidly growing community of Brighton.

Nearly $95 million in federal and provincial funding was announced for the projects in November, and the city will pitch in about $57 million in funding as well.

Residents will see a host of fee increases in 2024 as well, including everything from leisure centre and skating arena fees to parking tickets, building permits and business and pet licences. Property taxes will increase by 6.04 per cent, and garbage collection fees will join the recycling and green cart fees as a utility rather than remaining part of property taxes.

But whether the two-term mayor will be in office to see shovels in the ground for those projects is still unclear. Next year is a municipal election year, but Clark is not saying yet whether he’ll run for the mayor’s seat again.

“There’s a lot of reasons to stay on and to continue to ask for the support to continue to be mayor and see some of these things through, and sometimes you’ve got to know when it’s time to step aside and let somebody else take over,” he said.

Clark said he’ll make sure to inform everyone when he makes that decision.

“It’s something over the holidays (that) gives me a chance to reflect with my family and prepare and determine,” he said.