What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
Nov 18, 2024
Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
Saskatoon’s city council approved tens of millions of dollars to cover a couple of costly projects, including snow removal and renovations to the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre.
Two December storms piled 34 centimetres of snow onto the city, which had already received as much as 55 cm of snow in October and November. The snow made travel on many roads nearly impossible for many, so the city activated its Roadways Emergency Response Plan for Extreme or Unusual Events with the goal of clearing the snow from every Saskatoon street.
Once that was completed earlier this month, the task of removing all of the snow got underway. The snow removal is expected to take at least another month, and the costs associated with this winter’s snow clearing could add up to as much as $20 million, though the exact total won’t be known until after the snow removal is completed.
To deal with those unexpected costs, council unanimously approved a motion to borrow the funds until budget deliberations begin later this year.
The repayment options council heard included reducing the 2024-25 Major Capital Plan from $191 million to $179 million, or raising property taxes by 0.75 per cent each year from 2024 until 2027.
Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre
Renovations to the 46-year-old Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre are expected to begin in April. The facility is set to close its doors on March 31, and the project is expected to last 18 to 24 months.
The estimated cost of those renovations has nearly doubled from $13.5 million up to $24 million.
Utilities and Environment general manager Angela Gardiner said when the project’s budget was first developed in 2019 as part an application for the Federal Green and Inclusive Community Building program, there wasn’t much design work completed.
In order to qualify for that federal funding, Gardiner said accessibility and sustainability enhancements had to be included in the design, which drove up costs. A boiler replacement was also added to the project.
“Other factors have also increased the costs estimate of the project, including inflation costs of certain materials and contingencies that suppliers are now adding to compensate for potential supply chain issues,” Gardiner said.
Coun. David Kirton expressed concern about the huge budget increase request.
“If we go to the high end of that range, we’re seeing costs almost double,” he said.
Kirton asked whether the “key sustainability and accessibility features” were mandatory for the federal funding application.
According to Gardiner, additional mandatory features were identified as the application process progressed.
“Had these few specific items been included in the original application, they could have been funded under the federal government’s total project cost,” Gardiner added. “At the time though, we weren’t aware that these specific things were required.”
Council unanimously approved borrowing the extra $10.5 million.