There are five mayoral candidates in the 2024 Saskatoon civic elections. 650 CKOM sent out a Q&A to each candidate. The election is on Nov. 13, 2024.

Gordon Wyant

Hometown: Saskatoon

Embarrassing playlist song: “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. My daughter put that on my playlist many years ago and I haven’t had the heart to take it off.

Why do you want to be Mayor of Saskatoon?

I was born and raised in Saskatoon and I love this city. But, having seen the deterioration in terms of safety on our streets and in our homes and what I perceive as a lack of fiscal prudence on behalf of the city council, I thought I could use my experience as a school trustee, former member of the city council, former minister and lawyer to help guide the city forward in a responsible way, recognizing the diverse needs of this community.

How do you plan to address homelessness, given it’s not solely a municipal responsibility?

We need to strengthen partnerships with housing providers and use the city council’s tools, like tax abatements tied to affordability, to encourage more affordable housing. We also plan to take control of abandoned properties, working with the Saskatchewan Housing Authority and industry partners to renovate these homes and transfer them to housing providers for safe occupancy. This approach will also create valuable trade training opportunities. Additionally, we’ll incentivize the conversion of vacant downtown commercial spaces into housing and streamline permit processes, including for new homes, to accelerate housing development. Cooperation with the provincial government and industry is essential and I’ll initiate these conversations right after the election.

What makes you hopeful?

What makes me hopeful is Saskatoon’s potential to be a thriving, dynamic city for our young and growing population. My Affordability & Investment Plan is built to fast-track housing development, revitalize our downtown core and ensure local businesses benefit from the city’s growth. Saskatoon’s median age is just 37, one of the youngest in Canada, with families, professionals and entrepreneurs laying down roots here. We need to make Saskatoon a city where they can build their futures. My plan provides a clear path for transforming Saskatoon into an economic leader — a city that’s affordable, forward-looking and full of opportunity.

What do you think should be the city’s priority given Saskatoon’s upcoming major projects, the debt and how do you plan to fund them?

When people look to move or invest in this community, they want to know that we have the amenities their families want, like a world-class art gallery, a performing arts centre, a symphony, a potential World Heritage site and a river valley that is studied and envied the world over (Meewasin!). These things, among others, make Saskatoon a great community. There is certainly a time to invest in major projects; however, as a city, we need to be very careful regarding the debt we carry and the impact of major projects on taxpayers. I believe we need to spend some time focusing on our core services and enhancing those, such as policing and infrastructure, as we consider capital projects. I also believe the private sector has a significant role to play in certain large projects. From a priority perspective, I like the idea of downtown revitalization, but I worry about the cost. Increasing convention space at TCU Place would be a priority for me in terms of revitalizing downtown. Regarding the library, I don’t believe the city council did its due diligence when it decided to support a new public library. Options like the old StarPhoenix building would have been an excellent location for a library that could have been renovated for significantly less than what’s being spent on the new library. This would also free up funding to enhance neighbourhood libraries frequently used by seniors and children. I see this as a better opportunity than building a new public library.

Do you have a talent few people know about?

I like to repair and build things. I like to use my hands. I’m not sure that’s a talent, but it brings me joy.

What superpower would you want?

Being able to read minds would be fantastic. Imagine knowing when people are being honest or dishonest.

What are the top three items you would address in your first 100 days as Mayor?

My campaign is based on safe streets, smarter spending and transparency and accountability — three things I want to begin addressing in my first hundred days as Mayor. Conversations with the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners regarding some of my ideas to enhance public safety would be a high priority. We also need to develop a budget transformation plan and work to get city spending under control.

How do you plan to address the challenges of population growth in areas like infrastructure, housing and public services?

The demands of a growing city require specific attention to the core deliverables that the people of Saskatoon expect. Examining how we deliver our public services to ensure they’re delivered efficiently and effectively is a key priority. We will do this through efficiency audits of each department at City Hall. We will need to invest in infrastructure as our city grows, which means close attention to our budget. We need to ensure that we are ‘staying within our lane’ and not taking on responsibilities that belong to other levels of government. As I mentioned, the city has tools it can use to facilitate economic growth, especially in the housing sector. Better utilizing the land bank to make more land accessible for affordable and accessible housing will be a key strategy moving forward.

How will you engage residents to increase municipal voter turnout in Saskatoon?

I think we can do a better job engaging voters. We’ve literally knocked on thousands of doors, trying to get our message out, but coming on the heels of a provincial election, I fear some measure of voter fatigue. Ensuring that the people of Saskatoon understand the importance of the decisions that the council needs to make to ensure the continued growth and economic success of this city is crucial and I believe that if we can get that message across, we’ll see greater voter turnout this year. Additionally, we need to lobby the Province to avoid such close election timings.

What would you tell your 21-year-old self?

I should have bought that ‘69 Mustang when I had the chance. By the way, I’m glad you used 21 as an age; sixteen would have taken a long time to answer.