Saskatoon Minute: Issue 88

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

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• Saskatoon’s 2026-27 budget deliberations saw the proposed mill rate jump around as Councillors debated dozens of potential cuts and additions. After four days of discussions, Council settled on a 6.7% increase for 2026 and 5.81% for 2027, slightly lower than the initial proposals. Councillors reviewed 108 cost-saving options and later considered a “wish list” of 45 items, ultimately approving 11 additions such as more fire dispatchers and snow and ice service enhancements. Transit safety remained a major topic, with questions about the feasibility of transit police and concerns about relying on alternative response officers. Two Councillors - Bev Dubois and Robert Pearce - voted against the final budget, arguing the increases were still too high.
  
  
• Before the overall budget was passed, Council approved a significant increase to the police budget, which will now make up about one-quarter of all municipal spending in 2026 and 2027. The budget will rise by 8.62% next year and 6.16% the following year, pushing total policing costs to $158 million in 2026 and nearly $168 million in 2027. Most Councillors supported the increase, arguing residents are demanding greater safety, but two rookie Councillors - Kathryn MacDonald and Jasmin Parker - voted against it, saying police spending is climbing at record levels without proof of better results. Police Chief Cam McBride said rising costs stem from arbitration awards, legal obligations, and the need for more staff as call volumes have surged 20% since 2020. The plan adds 49 new police employees overall.
  
  
• Council approved a one-year pilot program that will place Indigenous peacekeepers in part of the downtown core to provide culturally informed support to people experiencing homelessness. The initiative draws inspiration from the Saskatoon Tribal Council’s Sawēyihtotān program, which focuses on relationship-building and connecting vulnerable residents with housing, health care, and addictions services. STC Chief Mark Arcand urged Council to include Indigenous voices directly in the discussion and emphasized that support workers often face difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. Councillors discussed issues such as liability, coordination with police and fire services, and the need for de-escalation training, which workers already receive from the Saskatoon Police Service. The pilot, which is expected to be contracted through the Tribal Council and integrated into the City’s broader security framework, passed unanimously. A follow-up report will come later with more details on the program’s implementation.
  
  
• Homelessness in Saskatoon continues to increase, with poverty and affordability pressures identified as major drivers. The latest point-in-time count recorded 1,931 people experiencing homelessness on October 16th, a 30% increase from last year and more than triple the number reported in 2022. Many residents on fixed incomes are being pushed into homelessness despite having no addiction or mental-health issues, as rising rent and food costs outpace their resources. City officials similarly emphasize that income remains the strongest predictor of housing instability. The count found 725 people unsheltered, 151 in encampments, 327 in emergency shelters, and others in transitional housing, institutions, or hidden homelessness. All emergency shelters were at capacity that day. Community organizations note the numbers reflect growing pressure across the system and point to the need for better pathways into employment, education, mental-health supports, and coordinated provincial policy. A proposed centralized navigation hub for services is now under exploration.
  
  
• Saskatoon will phase out its annual contribution to a provincial detox facility after the funding’s purpose and oversight were questioned during budget discussions. The City has provided $108,200 per year to a detox centre at 201 Avenue O South since 1997, though several Councillors said they were unaware of the program or its location. Administration confirmed the money flows directly to the provincial government, which operates the site. Councillors noted that detox services fall under provincial jurisdiction and questioned why the City had assumed part of the cost. Council voted to reduce the grant by 50% in 2025 and end it entirely by 2027. 

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