Discover Saskatoon Budget
Discover Saskatoon received just over $619,000 in city-funding last year, however the tourism organization is requesting nearly double that amount in 2026 to remain competitive.
At the Governance and Priorities Committee meeting Tuesday morning, CEO Steph Pocha says Discover Saskatoon played a significant role in generating over $750 million in tourism revenue last year. She adds that the additional requested funding will be used mainly for marketing and communications capacity, and travel trade and international market development.
“No other organization is doing the work that we are doing. If our capacity is reduced, this work does not move somewhere else. It stops.”
Administration presented four funding options to the committee, none of which included granting the full request without a phase-in.
Instead, what was approved was a motion from Councilor Zach Jeffries that includes a three per cent annual inflationary increase, an annual bonus payment of $100,000 subject to performance targets, and an annual $50,000 contribution to the events reserve, all funded by the property tax base.
TCU Place and SaskTel Centre Merger
Saskatoon’s Governance and Priorities committee voted to move forward with the amalgamation of SaskTel Centre and TCU Place.
City Manager Jeff Jorgenson says the merger would achieve several benefits, such as streamlined operations, reduced duplication, and strengthened ability to compete for major events.
“They’ve estimated annual financial savings at $470,000 per year. That won’t be achievable in the very near term, but by year three, they’re very confident those savings or more could be realized.”
He adds that determining which jobs and roles will be kept will need to be a compassionate process.
“To reassure any staff that are watching: the way we approach these types of things is we’re going to be relentlessly focused on achieving the savings, but we’re also a compassionate and law-abiding employer. We will go through the right process and go about this the right way.”
He says the joining also positions the city well for the future entertainment district, which suggests the arena and TCU Place exist across the street from each other. Both parties have agreed there is value in this amalgamation, which is expected to start taking effect by quarter one of 2027. The decision will be brought before City Council for review in the future.
Potential New BID
The Sask West Business Association is planning to create a new Business Improvement District on Saskatoon’s west side.
The Saskatoon’s Confederation Urban Centre would become the city’s sixth BID, including businesses like Canadian Tire, Super Store, and FreshCo, among nearly 160 others.
Sask West Business Association CEO Karen Kobussen made her intentions known with a letter at today’s Governance and Priorities committee. The purpose of a BID would be to strengthen collaboration and improve communication between businesses in a designated area.
Administration was directed to bring back a report on the BID creation process. The committee approved the move unanimously, but the matter will still need to go before city council in order to get the green light.
