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Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block is putting forward a motion to review the way public events are approved after a performance in the city by a controversial American musician.
About a week before an outdoor concert featuring U.S. singer Sean Feucht in the city on Aug. 21, Block posted a video to social media about the event, saying she wished she could cancel it because of past comments by Feucht which she considers “abhorrent.”
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“The situation is evolving, and I will continue to speak out against hate, respect the Charter and work with city administration, Saskatoon Police Service and my colleagues on city council to make sure we make the best decisions possible for our community,” Block said.
Feucht, a conservative Christian and supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump who has seen a number of shows cancelled across Canada in recent months, was granted a permit to hold a performance in Diefenbaker Park as part of his “BURN Canada” tour. The decision outraged members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and others.
After a contentious meeting between Block and protesters opposed to the event in front of Saskatoon City Hall, the mayor pledged to introduce motions calling for a review of how events are permitted on city property. At the most recent city council meeting, Block put forward a notice of motion on the matter.
Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block is putting forward a motion to review the way public events are approved in the city. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
According to the agenda for the meeting of Saskatoon’s Governance and Priorities Committee on Wednesday, Block’s motion includes a request for a report on the city’s Recreation Facilities and Parks Usage Bylaw, “outlining possible options to update the language and enhance the requirements for who can use public spaces and recreation facilities.”
The motion states there are around 500 special events hosted in public spaces in Saskatoon each year.
So far, there have been nearly two dozen letters sent to the city opposed to allowing figures like Feucht to perform, citing a recent council declaration that Saskatoon be the first city in Canada to be considered a “sanctuary” city for the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.
During his visit in Saskatoon, Feucht questioned the meaning of free speech.
“You can’t be a government that says you allow free speech and then let pride parades do whatever they want, and pro-Hamas sympathizers do whatever they want, and shut Christians down,” he said. “I think we’ve seen a pattern of that across Canada.”
He also accused protesters outside of his Saskatoon concert of “being scared of the church.”
It’s not clear how long a review of the bylaw may take, or what changes could be made to the bylaw’s wording.
