Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block talks major construction projects in 2026

There will be a plethora of new and continuing projects for Saskatoon that could change the way the city looks and runs in 2026.

Lara Fominoff, 650 CKOM’s senior reporter, sat down with Mayor Cynthia Block to look ahead at some of the projects and initiatives that have been planned for the year.

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The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. 

650 CKOM: How do you see the downtown arena project moving forward?

CYNTHIA BLOCK: That’s what I’ll be looking forward to in 2026… the Downtown Event and Entertainment District and (rapid bus transit system) LINK moving forward next year.

I was at the 2026 construction forecast, and for all of the amazing work that has been done in 2025, there will be much more in 2026 again. (A) good news story, but also some inconvenience. And College Drive will definitely be impacted, as will the University Bridge next year, and probably parts of that into a second year as we prepare for sort of a transformation in the whole area.

Part of that is work on the bridge. Part of that is creating all of the pieces around making the College (Ave.) corridor really more of a livable, walkable place.

We’ve changed zoning. We have opportunities now to build relatively low high rises along College Drive to add more housing, to add more commercial development, but it’s also designed to make things easier for people that are pedestrians, which is most of us, if not all of us, in some capacity. And how do we also make room for LINK? LINK is going to be a major component. We have done some of that work. I think was last year or the year before, but the really heavy lifting for LINK on College Drive is going to start next year, and it’s a two-year process because we have to get it ready for 2028, so this is go time for that project and we will definitely see some some interruptions there.

But we now have huge bridge capacity in our city, so there are alternatives. I have to say, personally, that not having the Broadway Bridge at my access for six months was maybe not my favorite, but I adapted.

I think we should all be very proud of what is being built in our in our city that will be something for generations, the Downtown Event and Entertainment District.

A lot was made on that, say, about a year ago, about it sort of sitting on a shelf and I have been a proponent of this project since day one, because I understand when you build projects that attract more residential and commercial development, where infrastructure and services already exist, (is) by far the least expensive way to grow your city, and it also adds vibrancy and it does all of those other things while lowering overall costs for the city of growth and raising the tax revenue. So it is a win/win for our entire city. The commitment is that someday, when SaskTel Center moves downtown, there will be no property tax impact and council continues to hold firm on that.

I think that in the new year we will start to better understand where that’s going. We had a private partner step forward – very grateful for that – and we have more than one. This was a competitive bidding process, and it’s good to see that people see Saskatoon as a wise investment, and that’s something that I think we’ll be wrestling with in the new year.

Is this the opportunity for us to move forward with the (Oakview Group) from the United States, or is this an opportunity for for us to take a different look? And I don’t know where council is going to head on that, and I don’t want to make any predictions because I think it’s a fluid situation where we’re feeling that a lot has changed over the course of the last couple of years. And where is the best way to make sure that this is going to be a sound, solid investment for our city?

650 CKOM: anything else that you’d like to add?

BLOCK: I am so filled with gratitude. I’m filled with gratitude for the city that looks after each other, the city that, for sure has disagreements, and we absolutely, have struggles that we need to figure out, but we’re going to do it together.

And that’s the the great thing about Saskatoon, is that we will figure it out. We will roll up our sleeves again and we’ll lean in and we’ll make sure that Saskatoon is a place where all people can thrive.