Don Atchison, Charlie Clark unveil plans to grow Saskatoon’s economy

Mayoral candidates Charlie Clark and Don Atchison are out with their plans to keep people working well into the future.

Atchison wants to see Saskatoon recognized as an international business-friendly destination, and he thinks a downtown arena district would go a long way to accomplish that.

At a news conference on Friday, Atchison told reporters a downtown entertainment district centred around a new arena would aid the city’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

Staying firm on his promise of zero per cent property taxes if he is elected, Atchison said residents would be able to vote via plebiscite to determine the fate of the project.

“If you don’t get started and know exactly what it’s going to cost and what taxpayers are going to be on the hook for what do you do then?” he said. “Wouldn’t you know how much it’s going to be before you get started?”

Not voting in favour of the downtown arena district would “set the downtown back probably another 25 years.”

A list of possible locations hasn’t been revealed, but city hall has estimated a downtown arena to cost between $172 million and $178 million, or between $330 million and $370 million if a convention centre is included.

“I believe, just like they do in a lot of other communities, that when these projects have been voted on, they’ve been approved,” Atchison said. “I think most people, in the end, believe what’s best for the community is best for everyone.”

Clark is less aggressive about building a downtown arena in Saskatoon, even though he agrees that planning should continue.

“We have an opportunity to do that,” Clark said, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the arena less of a priority.

“I do not support investing in a significant way in the existing SaskTel Centre. The next time we make a significant investment in a new arena facility it should be in the downtown.”

Atchison said he has spoken to members of the business community who are willing to invest tens and hundreds of millions of dollars into the city. Stability and certainty are the biggest concerns for business owners, according to Atchison.

Clark’s plan to keep people working — unveiled less than two hours after Atchison’s — relies on a strategy to unify planning, advance city technology and further utilize sustainable energy.

Clark’s long-term goals include building a food processing hub in the region and a centre for agriculture technology in addition to working toward a greener Saskatoon.

“We’ve lost opportunities in the past because there hasn’t been a coordinated approach, so really it comes down to building the right partnerships,” Clark said.

Other companies have looked elsewhere for things like a food processing hub, according to Clark. He would like to see more unity with neighbouring communities like Corman Park to draw on what is happening in other cities.

Clark would also like to see infrastructure projects become more environmentally friendly. Electric charging networks, more electric buses and more solar energy are just some of the ways Clark would like to modernize Saskatoon’s economy.

Saskatoon Light and Power’s plan to build a one-megawatt solar plant near the Montgomery neighbourhood would help accomplish that goal, Clark said.

More than ever, Clark feels companies are not only accommodating sustainability but are making it a key priority.

“This is no longer an option for companies as to whether or not part of their plan is to build towards sustainability. I want the City to be a partner in those opportunities,” he said.

Immediate plans include making Saskatoon more active in the winter. He’s spoken to partners like Tourism Saskatoon, the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce and Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) to explore how to keep Saskatoon’s economy active during the cold winter months and to help restaurants, hotels and shops survive.

“It’s just going to take (an) all hands on deck approach to come up with the best ways to animate our city,” Clark said.