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 a petition to put the Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED) project to a referendum. Ken Wood, the former CEO of SaskTel Centre, is leading the citizen-led initiative to gather signatures through a website called voteondeed.ca. The project aims to transform a section of Saskatoon's downtown core into a center for commerce, tourism, entertainment, and nightlife.
To launch a referendum in Saskatchewan, residents must gather signatures from 10% of the city's population, which is 26,615 valid signatures in Saskatoon. Wood believes that the project deserves direct consent from Saskatoon taxpayers and that a public expenditure of this magnitude should be decided by the public. The DEED project has been in the works for several years, and the city has agreed to move forward with negotiations with Muskeg Lake Cree Nation.
Wood argues that the SaskTel Centre is in excellent condition and can continue hosting events without any improvements. However, organizers emphasize that a referendum should be held to give residents a democratic say in the matter.
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