Mayoral candidates spar over making Saskatoon a ‘liveable’ city

Saskatoon mayoral candidates fielded question on topics ranging from climate change to active transportation to the economy at a mayoral forum Wednesday evening.

Candidates received 16 questions ahead of time, and each was delivered to two people who had 90 seconds or less to answer. Each person had four tokens to be used on a question they weren’t chosen to answer.

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Don Atchison said more could be done to advertise and promote Wanuskewin, along with the South Saskatchewan River.

“We really need to make sure that we’re not taking freedoms away from people and letting them build the city that they want,” Devon Hein said.

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Candidates were also asked if they would advocate for a new and sustainable funding model for the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA).

Charlie Clark said the MVA needs to remain an independent body.

“It cannot become a department of the city. That will not be a solution that will lead to the same quality and the same vision,” Clark said.

There has been misinformation suggesting funding has been cut from the MVA, according to Atchison.

“We’re going to continue to work with the province to make sure the MVA is funded in an appropriate fashion,” Atchison said.

Moore criticized city council’s decision to write a letter to the provincial government over its funding review.

“And that was the extent of the direction that they took,” Moore said.

On the topic of transportation, Clark called for better choices and the implementation of bus rapid transit. Autonomous transit could revolutionize transportation in the future, according to Atchison. Any active transportation system will be a challenge with record debt and tax increase, Moore said.

Voters will have their say when ballots are cast Oct. 26.