Message to the Membership – August 11, 2026
At the risk of setting precedent and creating heightened expectations just four weeks after my last one, which includes two weeks of holidays for yours truly (so in some ways seems to me like two weeks since the last one), here’s the latest installment of the Message to the Membership. These are intended to come at times to bring attention to the work we’re doing or issues that we’re facing.
Today’s topic is the Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED) and addressing some public discourse of this issue.
First and foremost, it must be stated that the NSBA is in support of the DEED, although this support is conditional on a solid business plan that can validate the need and viability of this potential development.
It’s been coming into the public realm lately because of a few things. One of which is Premier Scott Moe going public with support of the DEED project (among other projects in North Battleford and Prince Albert) so long as there is matching federal funding for this infrastructure.
Another is Mayor Cynthia Block appearing on the Evan Bray Show recently to discuss the status of the DEED project. Yet another reason is because the anti-DEED movement is certainly taking issue with the Mayor’s verbiage used of it being as ‘essential infrastructure.’
The anti-DEED folks, several of whom I consider to be good friends, are adamant that a project of this magnitude needs to be brought forward to the public by means of a plebiscite or referendum (what’s the difference in these terms anyway??).
It’s difficult, and sometimes irrational, to oppose what the masses are thinking. Having said that though, history has proven that in the past, Saskatoon has come to the wrong conclusion when presented with these big-picture items.
Ironically, (and there will be an Alannis Morrisette theme coming for a while now) the current site of the SaskTel Centre (at that time called Saskatchewan Place) came about as the result of a referendum. Saskatoon residents were asked in 1985 if the new arena should be built downtown, at the A.L. Cole site, or at its current location.
Even more ironic is that the NSBA was one of the leading voices for the current location. However, in our defence, we believed that building this would be the catalyst for further economic development around the arena. This new, unproven concept was just that – an unproven concept that never materialized.
In contrast, since that time dozens of metropolitan centres throughout North America – with or without an NHL or NBA team – have PROVEN that these types of infrastructure developments have spurred significant investment attraction to their respective regions.
Ironically, yet again, the proposed DEED site is only available because of a plebiscite vote in 2003 where the citizens of Saskatoon (at least the vocal ones) voted against having a SIGA-run casino developed on the site.
Saskatoon’s loss was Whitecap Dakota’s gain, as the First Nation gladly said yes to a SIGA-run casino, which is now known as Dakota Dunes Casino and Resort. The hundreds of millions of dollars of economic spinoff in the ensuing years has greatly enhanced Whitecap’s fortunes and meanwhile, the criminal activity, gathering of the scourge of the earth and collective destitution of its citizens hasn’t happened, to my knowledge, as was predicted by many of those opposing the casino in downtown Sasktoon.
Keeping with the ironic theme, among the leading voices for the CAGES lobbying group (Coalition Against Gambling Expansion in Saskatoon) was none other than Councillor Randy Donauer, with whom the NSBA has been in virtual lockstep with on probably 90-x per cent of the time when it came to civic issues.
In fact, we wrote a letter of support for his forthcoming motion at tomorrow’s Governance and Priorities Committee meeting, where he is asking Council to remove the Civic Capital Project Public Art Funding Stream from the City’s Public Art Policy; effectively ending the practice of allocating up to one per cent of eligible major civic capital projects, capped at $500,000, toward public art installations. (Thank you Councillor Doanuer!)
Speaking of public spending, what hasn’t been spoken of much (at least that I’ve heard) in the debate over whether or not Saskatoon should proceed with the DEED project, is the hundreds of millions of dollars that are required for the SaskTel Centre upgrade, should the DEED project not proceed.
The last number I heard was a minimum of $300M would be required… with no other level of government support for this, and so directly attributable to the City of Saskatoon tax payer.
Meanwhile, if there are four levels of government involved in the proposed DEED project, with Muskeg Lake Cree Nation coming forward as a potential partner for the DEED project, along with the City, the Province and the Feds, and if they each participated with an equal amount of funding, my math says $300M times four is $1.2B, which coincidentally is the value that’s been estimated for the DEED project.
So if the City of Saskatoon is spending the same amount of money for a renovated SaskTel Centre – which has deficiencies that I haven’t event addressed in this week’s message – or for a new event space, which includes a refurbished TCU Place, you tell me where the better investment is. (And I’m sure you will btw).
Until next time, be kind, be patient, and look after one another.
Keith Moen
Executive Director
NSBA – Saskatoon’s Business Association
