Meet Saskatoon mayoral candidate Don Atchison

There are five mayoral candidates in the 2024 Saskatoon civic elections. 650 CKOM sent out a Q&A to each candidate. The election is on Nov. 13, 2024.

Don Atchison

Hometown: Saskatoon

Embarrassing playlist song: When You’re Hot, You’re Hot by Jerry Reed

Why do you want to be Mayor of Saskatoon?

I’ve seen the decline of the past eight years and I know it doesn’t have to be this way. Previously we’ve handled the challenges of growth successfully, but lessons that we learned have been forgotten. City council has moved away from what worked and replaced it with what sounded good. There is only one measure for success in a city, quality of life for its residents. I want to be mayor to turn us back in the right direction so we can be the safest, most business-friendly, and most innovative city in Canada.

Homelessness and its effects can be seen in communities across Saskatchewan. Although not directly municipal responsibility, how do you intend to tackle this issue?

As mayor, my first priority is safety and security for all. Law and order are essential, but achieving true safety means tackling homelessness at its roots. People facing homelessness often have complex needs, from mental health and addiction challenges to economic hardships. However, often overlooked are the single parent families, veterans, and seniors who have fallen on hard times.

We need to move away from an “emergency shelter” approach and develop a comprehensive assistance strategy. This includes medical and recovery centres, transitional and affordable housing options, and a pathway to independence for all individuals in need. I’m committed to building 10,000 affordable homes over the next decade, with an ultimate goal of 20,000 to 30,000 units.

But we must avoid mistakes of the past — such as the Fairhaven shelter, which overburdened one neighborhood. Homeless supports must not be parachuted into any neighbourhood or commercial area but developed in new areas designed for that purpose. Buying a home is a family’s largest investment, and they should have confidence that their neighborhood won’t be dramatically changed.

This challenge requires teamwork across all levels of government. While the city can support on the capital side, we need federal and provincial funding for operating costs. I’m proposing that some of the $30 million slated for the downtown event district be redirected to addressing homelessness — immediate help for those in need and relief for neighborhoods like Fairhaven that have carried too much of the burden.

As mayor, I’ll ensure Saskatoon takes a leadership role in tackling homelessness, creating a sustainable model that other cities can learn from. Together with community groups, NGOs, and faith-based organizations, we’ll build a safe, welcoming city where everyone has the support they need.

What makes you hopeful?

The people — they are demanding that something be done.  The provincial government has heard from the public on that level and I believe that appetite for change will be felt at the city level as well.

Saskatoon has some major projects in its future, from libraries to pools to arenas, and is taking on debt to do so. What do you think is the priority for the city and how do you intend to pay for it?

1. In 2020 I warned the business plan for the downtown library was the wrong concept but it’s too late to stop the project now. The library should have been part of a modern multi-purpose centre with retail, residential and even offices but they chose to adhere to an ideological pursuit of a library as being a stand-alone attraction. It will become a very expensive warm up shelter in the winter, like the Francis Morrison turned into. People quit using it due to safety concerns. In any case, they will have to live within the money they have been allotted. That may mean a re-evaluation of how they use the building. Perhaps the footprint used for the library will be reduced if they have to allocate some space for retail or commercial in order to attract additional revenue to finish the project. However, not one penny more.

2. The arena needs to be put on pause. If you have to borrow $20 million for snow removal, how can we have confidence city council can get this right? I’ve raised several concerns about the Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED), specifically criticizing its financial feasibility and the strain it may place on the city’s resources. I believe that the project should be paused until a comprehensive funding plan is established, there is almost no private money committed to make this project viable and their numbers vastly under-estimate the true cost. It is being heralded as a way to revitalize the downtown, but the reason for the decline of our city’s core is a lack of safety. Excessive spending and beautiful buildings won’t attract residents if the safety issues remain. I emphasize “needs” over “wants” and, with all the other challenges facing us, this is a “want.”

3. The city does need additional facilities. I’ve heard from both the hockey community, who want more rinks, and the cricket community who would like an indoor oval. We have a model that has worked well for us before and we could use it again. Soccer supporters were pushing for a new indoor facility. They showed their support for their vision by raising money towards it. The city provided the land, some capital and it was built in conjunction with two high schools. A maintenance reserve was created in lieu of property taxes so that the city would not be responsible for capital improvements. The province has promised two new high schools for the east end of the city. This model of cooperation will work again. It will be up to these groups to make a plan, show it’s viable, and work towards having their facility built in conjunction with these new schools, just like the soccer groups did.

Additionally, the participation of the city with the Saskatoon Minor Football Field took place due to the energy, effort and foresight of Greg Yuel and his group. We can work with groups like the YMCA, which has been done in other cities. The city needs to respond to these desires but we can’t take the lead. It’s up to others to show significant community support.

Do you have a talent few people know about?

I did a duet onstage with Jay Semko at the 2023 Singing with the Stars for Mental Health organized by the Schizophrenia Society. I can’t sing a lick, but my humming along with Jay must have been the highlight of the show.  Now seriously, I’m not sure if you’d call this a talent, but I’m really game to try anything if it’s going to a good cause. I’m never worried about embarrassing myself. I have also written a book called Building Bridges coming out in January 2025.

If you could have just one superpower, what would it be and why?

Pretty well every superpower has both an upside and a downside, otherwise the stories would be boring. The early Superman comics with petty criminals vastly over-matched by the Man of Steel are a good example. I saw a TV movie years ago, can’t remember what it’s called, but a young man gained the power to heal with a touch. Although the movie showed the downside of this for him once everyone learned about it, I think that would be an incredible superpower to have.

What are the top three items you would want to begin to address in your first 100 days as mayor?

1. Safety and security
2. Homelessness
3. City budget getting to a zero per cent increase on the mill rate

As our city’s population continues to grow, how do you plan to address the challenges this growth brings to areas like infrastructure, housing, and public services?

1. Forging a stronger relationship with Corman Park, so we don’t need to continue to build massive trunk lines, instead we can decentralize infrastructure by adoption of new technologies which are being used throughout the world.
2. Working in partnership with the faith based, NGO’s, University of Saskatchewan, SaskPoly, private sector, setting a goal of 10,000 attainable/affordable homes over the next decade. This could include grants, tax abatements and most of all strong leadership with the belief this must happen. Previously we had set a goal of 2500 over 5 years and 2624 units were built, without money from a Housing Accelerator Fund. It can be done without selling out the character of our neigbourhoods.
3. With public services, Saskatoon has a legal obligation to provide police, fire, water, wastewater, transportation and, until recently, solid waste which has been turned into a utility. The administration must take on the attitude of “yes we can and yes we will get it done”, which includes getting out building permits.

Municipal voter turnout is historically quite low in Saskatoon. How do you think you can better engage residents so they get out and vote?

Connecting with residents through social media is proving effective, but nothing beats face-to-face interaction at the door. It does get harder to do that as the size of the city grows. There is a real danger of only those with large financial backing will be able to get a message out. This year, the provincial election has pulled focus from municipal issues in the media. An approach could be combining provincial and municipal elections into a single event, making voting more convenient and leveraging higher provincial turnout to benefit local races. This would simplify the process, allowing voters to address both civic and provincial positions on one ballot.

Looking back, what would you tell your 21-year-old self?

I’d remind my younger self that staying true to one’s beliefs is vital. We may sometimes face unpopular decisions, but integrity means being able to look in the mirror each morning and know we’ve acted with authenticity.

Read more:

• Ten per cent of Saskatoon voters cast ballot in advance polls
• Who’s running in Saskatoon’s municipal elections?