Saskatoon Minute: Issue 79

Saskatoon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatoon politics

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• Despite the Canada Post strike, the City of Saskatoon says all municipal services remain fully operational. Residents are being encouraged to use online services, such as pet and business license renewals, parking ticket payments, leisure registrations, and utility billing, to avoid delays. The City is also urging people to make property tax and utility payments through online banking, financial institutions, in-person at City Hall, or by using the secure night deposit box. Officials highlighted that now is an ideal time to switch to eBilling, which provides faster, paperless access to account information and billing history. While phone and in-person wait times may be longer than usual, the City reassured residents that “it’s business as usual at City Hall.”
  
  
• Council has approved the demolition of Marquis Downs to make way for a temporary gravel parking lot, despite criticism over the lack of public consultation. Councillor Robert Pearce, the lone Councillor opposing the demolition, questioned the urgency of a parking lot and suggested consultation with residents. City Administration said no such consultation is required under the lease, though future development plans for the site will involve public input. Prairieland Park maintains that horse racing is no longer financially viable and is working on a broader master plan for the grounds. Marquis Downs, which opened in 1969, was once a major western Canadian horse racing venue but has struggled in recent years. The lease between the City and Prairieland Park runs until 2045.
  
  
• Council has unanimously approved a $1.6 million property tax break for a new 14-storey apartment and retail tower on Broadway Avenue. The development by WestCliff Properties, set to replace the former Whole Foods site, will feature 124 rental units along with 6,400 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The incentive, granted under the City’s Vacant Lot and Adaptive Reuse Program, waives both municipal and provincial education taxes for the first five years of operation. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the Wesley Tower will include three levels of above-ground parking, 40 one-bedroom units, 60 two-bedroom units, and 24 three-bedroom units. City officials say the project supports infill development and helps increase housing supply in a sought-after neighbourhood.
  
  
• Saskatoon is accelerating road and bridge projects before winter, with a focus on completing as much construction as possible during the short prairie construction season. Key projects include the Broadway Bridge rehabilitation, which began in April and is expected to reopen by the end of October, with some work continuing underneath. The City has built 24 Link station platforms in 2025 and plans an additional 12 before winter, with new shelters, information displays, and street furniture expected next year. Other projects include work in the CN Industrial area, downtown water main upgrades on Fourth Avenue, the extension of Eighth Street to McOrmond Drive, and ongoing construction on Brighton Boulevard. Residents are encouraged to use the City’s interactive construction map and Daily Road Report to plan routes.
  
  
• Construction of a long-awaited Nordic spa and hotel in Saskatoon’s Willows neighbourhood is set to begin in 2026. The 120-room Scandinavian-style wellness hotel and spa, developed by Scandvik Hotels, will feature outdoor thermal and cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, treatment and meditation areas, and fitness and relaxation spaces, overlooking the 15th hole of the Willows golf course. City Council unanimously approved zoning changes to accommodate the project, which had initially faced strong opposition from residents concerned about noise, neighbourhood disruption, and property values. The project was first proposed in 2021, rejected due to public backlash, but received initial zoning approval in 2023. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with more details to be announced soon.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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