News Releases

The City of Saskatoon is pleased to announce that Ideas Inc. has been selected through a public Request for Proposal process as the preferred proponent to lease the Farmers’ Market Building. The City and Ideas Inc. have been working together since February 2020 to negotiate a formal lease agreement to manage the public facility at River Landing.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our organization to bring vibrancy and animation back to the area. We are currently in the process of negotiations with the City and we remain committed to the project. We hope that we can reach an agreement in due course and help create an amazing facility here in Saskatoon,” says Depesh Parmar, Executive Director of Ideas Inc.

At its August 30, 2021 meeting, City Council was advised that Ideas Inc. was the proposed tenant for the Farmers’ Market Building. The Administration also outlined next steps to continue negotiations and options to renovate the Farmers’ Market Building so it may operate with business activities a minimum of six days per week with an emphasis on local foods and products and a farmers' market component. 

“Ideas Inc. is an established business incubator and has helped provide a platform to numerous startups to launch and grow into successful businesses,” says Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development. “As advocates of small business and entrepreneurship, they are the perfect organization to manage this exciting project.”

Ideas Inc. is conveniently located adjacent to the Farmers’ Market Building and has been managing the outdoor Street Stall Saturdays and the seasonal outdoor farmers’ market for two seasons. Ideas Inc. will also continue to manage the seasonal outdoor farmers’ market in Market Square. 

The proposed vision for the Farmers’ Market Building is an animated public facility with vendor spaces and dedicated farmers’ market days. This vision includes the building being fully utilized and open to the public six days per week, year-round.

“Our vision for this space draws inspiration from national and international facilities that have become landmarks for their respective cities. We are inspired by their ability to create a vibrant, animated space for local communities, and a dynamic and diverse destination where patrons can enjoy everything local from produce and artisan goods, to locally produced food and beverage,” says Depesh Parmar, Executive Director of Ideas Inc.

City Council approved the hiring of a design consultant to prepare the building for the next phase. The City anticipates that pending approval of capital funding for 2022, the upgraded public facility could be operational by Fall 2022.

For more information on the Farmers’ Market Building at River Landing, visit saskatoon.ca/farmersmarket.

• The potential implementation of vaccine requirements for City staff only, in consultation with local health authorities; and 
• Following the Government of Saskatchewan’s update on August 30, 2021 that “businesses, municipalities, venue and event organizers may request proof of vaccination to host and attend events or access their services,” to provide Council with advice on how this could apply to civic events, events in civic facilities and other relevant gatherings.

The City’s 2020 Annual Report which includes the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements is now available online at: saskatoon.ca/annualreport. New this year is a condensed 2020 Financial Statement Report prepared to underscore the City’s goal to make financial records easier to access and review.   

Having received the opinion of external auditor, Deloitte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, the 2020 Annual Report reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, accountability, transparency and clarity in financial reporting.  

“In an unprecedented year, the City continued to make responsible financial decisions to reduce our overall spending approach and make up shortfalls by using the Fiscal Stabilization Reserve,” says Kerry Tarasoff, Chief Financial Officer. “Our work with other orders of government on solutions and financial assistance greatly helped address funding needs to minimize our operating revenue challenges and deficit.

“The 2020 Annual Report highlights the progress we made on our investment activities, projects, and service delivery, and details what we planned and accomplished as set out in our Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget, adds Tarasoff. Our prudent financial planning and decision-making in 2020 helped to keep us financially responsible even in these uncertain times.”

The City continued to maintain its S & P Global ‘AAA/ Stable’ credit rating in 2020, supported by the City’s cautious financial decision-making and willingness to explore innovative and alternative ways to fund, finance, deliver and make progress on important infrastructure projects.

Included within the full 2020 Annual Report is a summary of achievements and highlights of several major projects and initiatives according to business line.  

“Throughout a very challenging year, we committed to careful and stringent financial management to plan for financial recovery and to build a vibrant future for the people of Saskatoon,” says Jeff Jorgenson, City Manager. “With our strong financial management practices and the hard work of every part of our organization pulling together, the City was able to balance the budget while protecting our strategic priorities, our critical assets, and our commitments to Saskatoon citizens and our employees.”

Even with the challenges of the pandemic, the City continued to value citizen input by providing numerous public engagement opportunities through online surveys and online public meetings. To provide business continuity, several City services were fast-tracked to be available online.

With a goal of being one of the best-managed cities in Canada, the City of Saskatoon remains dedicated to ensuring residents receive value from the investments made through their tax dollars and managing both risk and debt appropriately.

In keeping with the City’s digital-first strategy to capture cost savings and environmental responsibility, the 2020 Annual Report and 2020 Financial Statement Report are made available online and will not be printed. Citizens may request an individual printed copy by contacting finance@saskatoon.ca.

The 2020 Financial Statements were presented to City Council on July 26, 2021.

Visit saskatoon.ca/annualreport for additional financial reports and information.