Sarah Mills: The perils of social media are indicated in a new ad playing in Ireland
Sarah Mills says a new commercial warning about the dangers of oversharing on social media should have all of us pausing...
It took former NHL player Rich Pilon more than two years to get a business licence to operate his horse-drawn carriage ride business in Saskatoon, but he now has a temporary one in hand.
On Dec. 29, 2025, the City of Saskatoon emailed a licence agreement to Pilon and, according Terry Schmidt, general manager of transportation and construction, the agreement has been signed and returned. That means Pilon can now operate his business for the next several months, until May 31.
Read more:
- City of Saskatoon says ‘neigh’ to former NHLer’s sleigh ride business – for now
- Saskatoon reverses course and says ‘giddyup’ to temporary horse-drawn sleigh permit
It comes after Pilon’s wife, Jackie, made a presentation to the standing policy committee on Dec. 4, 2025. She told councillors that her husband had previously operated at special events in Saskatoon, in a variety of small towns in northern Saskatchewan including Ile-a-la-Crosse, and at Back to Batoche Days.
The former hockey player had also bought his business from the person who operated carriage rides in Saskatoon outside of the Bessborough hotel for many years.
A couple of weeks later, Matt Grazier, director of community standards, said his department would figure out how to issue a temporary permit, likely until the springtime.
“(It) could be issued for a limited period of time, and upon ending this temporary permit, the city would look at the results, how this business was able to operate during that time, and then those results would help inform considerations on a potential permanent policy consideration on uses of this type,” he explained on Dec. 12.
The licence for the pilot project includes conditions for operation that include vehicle equipment requirements, passenger safety requirements and animal welfare considerations.
It also includes operating hours and restrictions for certain streets during parts of the day, and parking requirements. A licence for pick up and drop offs was granted in Riversdale at 426 Avenue B South on Dec. 17, 2025, and is valid for one year.
According to the Schmidt, the number of total rides will be cross referenced with any safety incidents and concerns and any complaints received.
“When the pilot is complete, the administration will also consult with the downtown BID and the Riversdale BID on any issues, as the operation in the area is within these BIDs.
Administration will return with a full evaluation of the pilot and licensing options for horse-drawn carriages by Q3 of 2026,” he told councillors.
It’s not clear yet when Pilon’s business may begin operations. 650 CKOM has requested an interview with him, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Read more:
