It costs to achieve quality
By Gerry Klein, The StarPhoenix April 9, 2009
Between 1906 and 1909 Saskatoon was not only growing at a rapid rate, it was torn as to whether it should go into debt to do so.
Many citizens of the new burg argued it would be better to put off such modern conveniences as sewage and water systems and an electrical grid until there were more people around to share the cost burden. Others argued if Saskatoon was grand enough to be a city, maybe even the provincial capital, or at least host the province's university, it couldn't be done with kerosene lamps and human waste pooling in people's backyards.
In many ways Saskatoon must go through this debate once again. Not that there is any consideration to revert to outhouses and muddy streets, but the city that has willed itself to becoming Saskatchewan's major metropolis must decide how great it and this province should be.
And it's worth remembering that the greater it decides to be, the more it will cost.
For example, city council agreed a couple of years ago to build a state-of-the-art, top-end competitive pool that will be comparable to the best in the world. Members of the swimming community argued and councillors supported the notion that Saskatchewan deserved to be at the table when it came to world-class competitions. Saskatoon's administration charted a course to see that a facility could be built.
When the Shaw Centre is fully operational, sometime in 2010, it will cost taxpayers $2.7 million each year to operate.
Similarly, when Saskatoon decides to upgrade its parks, enhance its cultural attractions, place artwork along its streets, provide 365-day-a-year transit, build recreational facilities, deal with the spring and fall dust and the winter snow, maintain its streets, build environmentally sustainable public structures and expand its infrastructure, it is increasingly positioning itself to be a major player in Western Canada.
This also costs money.
And ever since the provincial government set in place a long-term, predictable source of funds for municipal operations, by committing to turn over one per cent of the sales tax to municipalities, it is increasingly transparent from where that money will come. During the course of a three-hour meeting on Tuesday, councillors pawed through a $280-million operating budget and agreed to hike taxes by nearly 2.9 per cent.
This increase, by the way, deserves some perspective. Although councillors had previously insisted they would hold the increase to the city's 2.9 per cent inflation rate, the cost of running a city isn't only connected to Statistics Canada's consumer price index.
The city buys such things as steel, concrete, asphalt, gravel, labour, equipment and even chlorine to keep running, and as city manager Murray Totland noted Wednesday, the cost of these can be 10 times to 30 times greater year over year. And while much has been made of Regina's ability to hold the line again on its municipal taxes, now that the education portion of the tax bill is the same in Saskatchewan's two cities, people in Saskatoon will still be paying less than their Regina cousins.
Regina's municipal tax rates continue to be higher than Saskatoon's, although this city is catching up. Saskatoon also has a much more developed system of reserves than nearly any other city in Canada, which has provided it with the highest credit rating of any city in the country and the security to take on the challenge of paying the cost of being one of the best cities in the nation.
It is here that Saskatoon citizens have some decisions to make. This city is the economic engine driving the most successful province in Canada and it will continue to be so unless it decides to surrender its position. To maintain that status -- to continue this growth -- will require greater costs.
This is an election year and if there is enough of a concern about paying the price, presumably voters will be given a chance to adjudicate on that issue.
The commitment to live up to the city's potential will also be evident in the debate over the future of the Mendel Art Gallery. First, one should set aside any notion that moving the gallery is disrespectful to anyone.
Fred Mendel was a great benefactor to the arts and to this city, but it's worth remembering he became a very rich man with the considerable help of this city's government and its labour force. That he recognized this is a credit to the man; that there are those who believe that recognition must be frozen in time with a gallery that is spectacular for a city of 150,000 but inadequate for one of 250,000 does him no credit or justice.
The Mendel cannot be expanded on its current site without considerable federal help, and that isn't in the cards. The federal government needs to see concrete poured and dirt moved. If it were to approve the Mendel project, the first year or more would be commissioning and renovating a building to temporarily house and hopefully display the artworks, then renovating the inside of the current facility.
Building on River Landing would mean pouring concrete for the parking structure this spring and all the photo-ops that could provide for a prime minister committed not only to stimulating the economy but winning an election on that promise.
It's far from certain the federal government will step to the plate with a new Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, but it is highly unlikely it will tie itself to a controversial expansion project.
But even if it agrees to this new gallery, a handful of groups will be left to determine whether the project will see the light of day: Saskatchewan architects, who are being given the exclusive opportunity to bid on the project, have to come up with a design that will be outstanding; the province, which will be asked to share the burden of operating a world-class or at least national-class facility; and city taxpayers, who will inevitably be required to pick up the added cost of running a city deemed cultural and competitive.
Or we could always decide to figuratively opt for running our sewer on the streets in the dark.
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MVA eyes Mendel site
Directors stake claim to gallery
By David Hutton, The StarPhoenix April 7, 2009
The musical chairs effect of building a new art gallery at River Landing has begun with the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA) already evaluating moving into the Mendel Art Gallery if it is vacated.
The MVA board of directors will take the next few weeks to decide which option to pursue: Occupying the Mendel site or building an $8.9-million interpretive centre at its current location in the former Rothman's building in Friendship Park.
"As an organization, we're going to investigate it," said Gwen Charman, Meewasin's director of operations.
"We're evaluating both options and our mind is still quite open on where a new Meewasin centre would go."
The rush to decide which option to pursue is linked to deadlines for federal funding applications and to show the MVA's interest to the city ahead of other suitors for the gallery, Charman said.
In February, the MVA unveiled plans for a 21,000-square-foot Meewasin Valley Centre with a new building on its existing site at Third Avenue South and 19th Street. Planned displays include an interactive model of the Meewasin valley and its landmarks, an aquarium with live river animals, a mini theatre for screenings and presentations and the chance for visitors to dress up as pioneers and have their photo taken in a Red River cart.
The mood among some MVA board members has changed with the possible opening of the Mendel site, said Coun. Darren Hill, a member of the Meewasin board. All four city councillors on the Meewasin board are in favour of moving to a vacated Mendel Art Gallery and have been quick to stake the organization's claim to the building.
"If it had been orchestrated, it couldn't have been done any better," Hill said. "I'm 100 per cent behind moving into the Mendel location. . . . It's got adequate parking, the interpretive area, a gift shop, the civic conservatory will get to stay. It's a win-win situation for everyone."
Moving into the Mendel site would save money and ensure the building doesn't sit empty, Hill said. Although the money used to design plans for a new building would go to waste, relocating downstream to the Mendel site would cost significantly less than constructing a new building.
Hill estimated it would cost no more than $1 million to relocate and renovate the Mendel, plus around $2 million to set up exhibits in the interpretive centre.
The MVA already has $1.7 million the provincial government gave the project two years ago, he said.
The need for the change of scenery is paramount for the MVA. The existing Meewasin centre is not fully wheelchair accessible or up to code and the roof leaks. The south side facing the river consists of garbage bins and a parking lot. The main problem is that the interpretive centre is in the basement. The present building would likely be demolished if the MVA moves out, Hill said.
The $1 million worth of architectural drawings created for renovating and expanding the Mendel Art Gallery would likely not be useful to the MVA, Charman said. At 25,000 square feet, the Mendel site would provide plenty of room as is, she said.
"It's a much-loved facility and it's right on the river," Charman said.
Moving forward with the proposed $55-million art gallery, dubbed the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, now hinges upon federal approval. But federal officials and politicians were mostly quiet on the proposal Monday, saying only they're waiting to see the city's application for funding.
The new gallery is proposed to wrap around Persephone Theatre
"We're digesting this," said Saskatoon-Humboldt Conservative MP Brad Trost. "It will be helpful that there's been a definitive decision with a clear plan that everyone is behind and that's been made.
"There hasn't always been clarity here. We got mixed messages and there was confusion. Now they have something concrete to present."
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that's all I have to say!
towards an official "bar street" (Good potential with 3rd Ave).
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