Saskatoon sees major changes with six new councillors elected

More than half of Saskatoon’s city council will be new following Wednesday’s municipal election, with six wards electing brand new councillors, marking a shift the city hasn’t seen in decades.

Robert Pearce, the pastor at Fairmont Baptist Church will be representing Ward 3, a seat previously held by David Kirton.

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“I feel like I’ve been working at this for two years, and I feel good,” Pearce said.

Pearce said he looks forward to working with his fellow councillors and the new mayor, Cynthia Block, addressing some of the city’s outstanding issues.

Fairmont Baptist Church pastor Robert Pearce will represent Ward 3 on Saskatoon City Council. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

Throughout his campaign, Pearce said he received positive feedback and strong engagement from the community. He added that he will continue to stay connected with the community through various online groups his ward is involved in.

What excites Pearce the most is the opportunity to gain knowledge about the workings of the city. He said he’s eager to learn how the city functions and to deepen his understanding of its operations.

“I’m just going to let it unfold,” he said. “I’m going to focus on the priorities, work with other council members, and hopefully get some really good things happening.”

Pearce said his top priority will be to work with Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand, in hopes that the Saskatoon Tribal Council’s emergency wellness shelter on Fairmont Drive will be relocated “safely” and “responsibly.”

Pearce has previously been in the spotlight voicing safety concerns around the shelter, and calling for its closure.

“I kind of view it like eating an elephant,” he said. “We got to take one bite at a time, and we just got to pick what top-priority bites we need to take first.”

Pearce said he also wants to look at transitional and affordable housing, ways to keep property taxes low, and improving safety on Saskatoon Transit.

“I speak to a lot of bus riders, and they’re concerned about their safety,” he said.

Ward 1’s seat, held for 18 years by Darren Hill, will now be filled by Kathryn MacDonald.

MacDonald said she was both nervous and excited watching the results trickle in during Wednesday’s election, as her closest competitor, Kevin Boychuk, was behind by just 52 votes.

She said seeing the official results felt “surreal.”

This is MacDonald’s first time running for council, and said she wanted to make a positive impact on her community, noting that being a small business owner has given her a unique perspective on some of the challenges the city sees.

MacDonald said it will be a lot to process the new role, which will include a steep learning curve, but she said she is ready to take on the challenge, which will be possible with support from the city.

She said she’s excited for the opportunity to continue engaging in her community, learning from experienced councilors and gaining diverse perspectives on how people live in the city and what’s important to them.

MacDonald said the most pressing issue she has heard on Saskatoon doorsteps is about homelessness in the city.

Ward 6, previously represented by Block, will now be represented by Jasmine Parker, who said it’s been overwhelming to see the support from the community.

“I feel like I have some pretty big shoes to fill. I fill them with a lot of gratitude,” she said.

Parker said she was inspired to enter politics after seeing progressive candidates leaving city council. She said she wants to focus on the homeless, affordability, and housing crises.

“They are three different things, but they are certainly all interrelated,” she said. “The city has a definite role to play there, and I’m excited to be part of that solution.”

Pearce, MacDonald and Parker will join council alongside three other new faces, Ward 2’s Senos Timon, Ward 7’s Holly Kelleher, and Ward 8’s Scott Ford.