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The City of Saskatoon has decided to merge the SaskTel Centre and TCU Place.
The amalgamation of the two corporations is set for early 2027.
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This comes after the Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC) held a meeting in July 2025, considering a budget update from TCU Place.
The Civic Administration reported back on possible financial savings and suggested a merger between the SaskTel Centre and TCU Place.
According to the city, joining the two corporations under one organization “will streamline operations, reduce duplication, and strengthen Saskatoon’s ability to compete for major events.”
The single brand will also strengthen the city’s competitiveness for marquee events, sponsorships and tourism.
The city also expects financial savings and revenue growth, estimated to be $470,000 annually, achievable in the third year following implementation.
“Amalgamation costs are expected to fully offset operational savings in Year 1, some net savings will be realized in Year 2, and full annual savings are expected to be realized in Year 3,” it said.
Limited downsides to the amalgamation were identified.
As for cost savings, that is attributed to combining administration, human resources, information technology, finance and facility operations functions. A unified booking system is also expected to save costs.
Process
Many details still need to be resolved as part of the agreement process, like third-party contracts needing to be received and transition plans for the boards and senior admin positions.
“The City, as the sole member of both corporations would need to approve the amalgamation. This decision would come to City Council for approval and to request that a proxy be appointed to vote at a member meeting,” it said.
Since the boards and administrations of both corporations have shown a willingness to pursue amalgamation, the administration has proposed an implementation team comprised of representatives from the city and the two corporations.
The team will work to achieve the amalgamation by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
Should any problems arise, the City Council retains ultimate authority as the city is the sole member of both corporations and appoints the board of each corporation.
Amalgamation supports DEED project
The city said combining the two organizations now supports the Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED) Project.
“If City Council ultimately chooses to utilize a private partner to operate the future facilities, the transition from a single governance entity to the private partner will be more simple than transitioning two separate entities to a partner,” it said.
Or if the city council decides to operate the future DEED project with a controlled corporation structure, the idea was always for a single entity to oversee DEED.
The city said amalgamation now supports either operating model.
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