Saskatoon’s new, and first female Mayor, says because of her two terms as a City Councillor, when she walked into City Hall after the election, it felt like home. But Cynthia Block adds that there are some differences between the two positions. She suggests that Councillors deal with things in more detail for their wards and the City, in what she calls a micro lens, while the Mayor works on the macro level, and gives the examples of making sure there are appropriate budgets for things like snow removal, and advocating for change in the way homelessness is addressed, to become more proactive.
Block’s number one priority, she says, is finding solutions for the rising number of homeless people in Saskatoon. She understands that it’s an issue that many municipalities have globally, but she considers it to be even more challenging here because of our extremely cold winters and because 90 per cent of those who are unhoused are Indigenous, so the solutions need to take into consideration the effects of racism and colonialism while also honouring reconciliation.
Originally, during Block’s election campaign, she promised a mayor’s task force on the issue of homelessness, but now says it needs to be more inclusive, with Council involved, other levels of government, those with lived experience, Indigenous leaders, and with the organizations who are helping people on the streets.
Block also suggests we won’t be seeing a lot of movement around Downtown Event and Entertainment District in the New Year.
She feels Council failed to get the point home about the need for a new event centre, because SaskTel Centre, although a great facility, is experiencing the ‘law of diminishing returns’, whereas the building ages and events get larger, it will be passed by, meaning fewer concerts and larger events coming to Saskatoon.
Block adds that renovating it would be close to the cost of replacing it, and she expects that no private partner or government would be willing to fund it at its current location, because event centres are most effective in the centre of the city, where people attending, can also be near hotels, shopping and dining.
“I think it needs to move forward but right now it will sit on a shelf. We know that we have no funding for this project right now. We have a private partner but are going to be in need of a lot of lift from a lot of different directions in our community and from other levels of government before this can move forward.”
She stresses that the goal of Council is still for there to be no property tax increase if the facility is built downtown at some point in the future.
