Saskatoon residents eyeing petition on downtown event centre project
Community leaders and previous councillor hopefuls say they are launching a website to gauge interest before going through the official petition process in coming weeks.
Saskatoon residents are considering filing a petition to put the city's Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED) project to a referendum, according to reports. Ken Wood, former CEO of the SaskTel Centre, is leading the citizen-led initiative, aiming to gather signatures from 26,615 city residents to meet the threshold for a referendum under Saskatchewan's The Cities Act.
The DEED project has been in development for several years, with plans to transform a portion of downtown Saskatoon into a hub for commerce, tourism, entertainment, and nightlife. The project has gained recent attention with the agreed partnership between the city and Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, signed in June. The organizers of the petition argue that the project's magnitude and cost warrant democratic approval through a public vote.
Wood claims that the SaskTel Centre is in excellent condition and can continue hosting events, with any necessary improvements funded through existing reserves. However, some residents, like Karen Kobussen, express concerns about the project's high cost and the need to address other pressing issues in the city, such as homelessness and safety.
The provincial government has pledged to match federal contributions to the project, but organizers are still uncertain about the timeline for launching the petition.
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