Saskatoon Construction III

[YXE]

Good. I was worried the city was OK with letting the last group leave the space downtown because they, the city, were going to pick that location for the arena. I'm glad to hear that's not the case and that they are instead looking to replace it with another market. Any future market in that location will benefit from increased residential density in the area, specifically along River Landing.

On that note, it horrifies me to think about a company like North Prairie, with their doggy track record, purchasing ANY land along River Landing. Our city just doesn't have enough local developers to build at scale the quality that River Landing deserves. My two cents.

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by YXE

Good. I was worried the city was OK with letting the last group leave the space downtown because they, the city, were going to pick that location for the arena. I'm glad to hear that's not the case and that they are instead looking to replace it with another market. Any future market in that location will benefit from increased residential density in the area, specifically along River Landing.

On that note, it horrifies me to think about a company like North Prairie, with their doggy track record, purchasing ANY land along River Landing. Our city just doesn't have enough local developers to build at scale the quality that River Landing deserves. My two cents.

Definitely agree. An arena would effectively kill the attractiveness of the River Landing area. The Farmer's Market is a really valuable amenity that will only get stronger as the area continues to develop.

[nook]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a baseball field like this in downtown Saskatoon?

It's proposed in Spruce Grove.

But I guess we'd need a team first. We don't have any luck with baseball teams.

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by nook

Wouldn't it be nice to have a baseball field like this in downtown Saskatoon?

It's proposed in Spruce Grove.

But I guess we'd need a team first. We don't have any luck with baseball teams.

I lived next to Winnipeg’s downtown. Was so fun to have drinks at my place and then head over. One day

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by nook

Wouldn't it be nice to have a baseball field like this in downtown Saskatoon?

It's proposed in Spruce Grove.

But I guess we'd need a team first. We don't have any luck with baseball teams.

The problem is, Edmonton already has a baseball stadium downtown. So if this is built, the current stadium will have difficulties and likely be vacant for a while. Professional sports are kind of a shell game like this. So while it would be a lot of fun for Saskatoon to have a baseball stadium, if interests shifted or waned, or if the business case of the team faltered, it could leave the city on the hook for a white elephant.

[prairieguy]

I think the discussion of the proposed soccer stadium downtown is much more feasible and would likely be much better used then baseball. I believe there was consideration for the north downtown area for a pro soccer team (but I assume would be open for some community use).

https://thestarphoenix.com/sports/lo...r-team-in-2021

[mmx]

The names of Saskatoon's baseball teams were great in the early years, not so much more recently: Anavets, Gems, Commodores, Ambassadors, Blues. Then Riot, Smoking Guns, Stallions, Yellow Jackets, Legends. Oldtimers say that the original Cairns Field demolished in 1963 was a beaut located in the very heart of the city.

[Ricopedra]

edit

2 cents to the wind!

[Brutopian]

Originally Posted by mmx

The names of Saskatoon's baseball teams were great in the early years, not so much more recently: Anavets, Gems, Commodores, Ambassadors, Blues. Then Riot, Smoking Guns, Stallions, Yellow Jackets, Legends. Oldtimers say that the original Cairns Field demolished in 1963 was a beaut located in the very heart of the city.

Here are some great photos of the old Cairns Field that are on the Saskatoon Public Library's database (including a photo of Sid Buckwold at a ball game.) The stands sure look packed in a couple of the photos. Would've been pretty cool to have this ballpark in the centre of the city back in the day.

Some notes under a 1914 photo read: "The new ball park had 2500 covered grandstand seats, 2,000 bleacher seats, make-shift seating and standing room."

[nook]

Originally Posted by Brutopian

Here are some great photos of the old Cairns Field that are on the Saskatoon Public Library's database (including a photo of Sid Buckwold at a ball game.) The stands sure look packed in a couple of the photos. Would've been pretty cool to have this ballpark in the centre of the city back in the day.

Some notes under a 1914 photo read: "The new ball park had 2500 covered grandstand seats, 2,000 bleacher seats, make-shift seating and standing room."

Old Cairns was beautiful. Current Cairns is an outdoor concrete mausoleum with drainage problems.

As an aside, the Saskatoon Smokin' Guns was the best team name ever. Ha. I remember going to their games when I was a kid. My parents probably have some old Prairie League baseballs kickin around.

Part of the reason I think baseball fails in this city is the location of the field.

[bubba17]

Originally Posted by nook

Old Cairns was beautiful. Current Cairns is an outdoor concrete mausoleum with drainage problems.

As an aside, the Saskatoon Smokin' Guns was the best team name ever. Ha. I remember going to their games when I was a kid. My parents probably have some old Prairie League baseballs kickin around.

Part of the reason I think baseball fails in this city is the location of the field.

I wish I could agree with you about the current state of baseball here being the park location, and I agree about old Cairns Field, which I attended as a kid during the city Track and Field championships. In my opinion, baseball was a form of sport and entertainment brought here by our founding settlers. My Grandfather, an immigrant from Missouri, always had a team for the Fair circuit. He would be the manager and catcher and would bring a number of his US friends to SK to play on the summer fairground circuit during the first quarter of the 20th century. I think this love/knowledge/acceptance of baseball lasted well into the 70's....ask Spero Leakos.

I was gone from here for almost 35 years, returning 3 years ago. My impression is that baseball is on the decline and not the focal point it was last century. The 4th largest city on the prairies has been absent from the WBL for the last 3-4 years. Regina is the largest city in that league that had its(and previous reincarnations) days of playing professionally. The new generations are not as willing to get their exercise playing organized sports as they are to buying a membership in a gym. We used to go to the gym too, but in concert with training for team activities. Just a new and different world with different priorities.

New CF may be a concrete mausoleum with drainage problems but old CF was ready to be torn down when it happened. I would love to attend a WBL game now but I'm afraid that ship has sailed.

[EpicPonyTime]

Originally Posted by mmx

The names of Saskatoon's baseball teams were great in the early years, not so much more recently: Anavets, Gems, Commodores, Ambassadors, Blues. Then Riot, Smoking Guns, Stallions, Yellow Jackets, Legends. Oldtimers say that the original Cairns Field demolished in 1963 was a beaut located in the very heart of the city.

You take that back. Yellow Jackets was a great name for a team.

[roryn1]

With election season coming up I thought it would be cool to have some new discussion threads similar to how Winnipeg does a few.. would users be ok with that? I was thinking:

1. If we had an extra $100 million a year in the budget to solve social issues, what infrastructure are we missing? (Going off of the “defund the police” movement that wants more funding for social spending, and create some debates on alternatives (in no way cutting funding to remove any contention) to the Lighthouse and other similar services that can alleviate the need for policing.

2.Arena discussion since we don’t have one yet and there should be an announcement soon?

3.Vacant Lots! Especially this one Allan Wallace mentioned that’s owned by the province??? https://twitter.com/awallace1961/sta...727367683?s=21

4. City Beautification Ideas - also from this other tweet of Allan’s. Mostly posting good ideas that even city beautification admin can get ideas from as I would argue this issue is a collective effort among all residents of the city? https://twitter.com/awallace1961/sta...750542849?s=21

5. Saskatoon Beaches!
I went to the beach twice last year, got pelted with sand both times thanks to crazy winds, but yesterday was finally a perfect day for the beach. We first went to Paradise i think - completely flooded out. Almost called it quits, but luckily Chief Whitecap/Furdale was “known” to be ok. I grew up in a very small city that had many lakes around it and they all were amazingly beautiful and well organized destinations. I know “river is dangerous bla bla bla” but HOW DO WE NOT MAKE OUR RIVER MORE ACCESSIBLE and SAFE. My mind has been blown on this and always will be. This is a perfect opportunity to partner with a private company that is causing a main issue in the river - eutrophication from pesticide and fertilizer runoff. I know we have plans, but i sure haven’t heard from them in a while. In general I think this would be a very fun thread, especially laying out what other cities with rivers have done to embrace their rivers - and let’s remove the green algae bloom from our river and keep it beautiful! . https://twitter.com/awallace1961/sta...940499968?s=21

If the mods thinks this is a stupid idea I won’t do it haha. Just thought they would be some cool discussions among us now that a lot of construction is going to be at a standstill with covid over the next year.

[roryn1]

Downtown Destination Guide Launched Today
Monday June 29, 2020: A guide promoting Downtown Saskatoon as a place to live work, play, and invest, has launched today. The Guide, titled “Downtown Saskatoon: Urban with a Prairie Heart” was produced by a partnership including City of Saskatoon, Downtown Saskatoon, Tourism Saskatoon and SREDA.
“The Downtown is where we live out so much of the story of Saskatoon,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “The beautiful South Saskatchewan River runs alongside the Downtown, connecting people who have lived on these lands over thousands of years. Business and culture come together here, showing the world our prairie grit and ingenuity. We’re an ambitious and resilient city that punches above our weight and is willing to take on any challenge that’s before us.”
In early 2019, a group of Saskatoon businesses, groups, institutions and individuals came together in a three-day workshop to examine what strategies were needed to stimulate development in Downtown Saskatoon. Many ideas were developed and are contained in a 2019 document called “Inquiry Toward a Downtown Stimulus Strategy for Saskatoon.” One of the goals that came out of the workshop was to articulate a Downtown narrative that would tell the story of how Downtown was established and to create a vision for the future Downtown built on its many strengths.
“Downtown is the genuine heart of our City, says Brent Penner, Executive Director, Downtown Saskatoon. “Downtown contains landmarks, distinctive features, historic places, and provides a unique sense of place. It is home to the performing and visual arts, boutique shopping, authentic restaurants, colourful events & festivals, and great hotels. In addition to being a key cultural and business hub, Downtown is a neighbourhood full of people who live and work here every day.”
A first step in developing the Guide, and to ensure it was authentic to the experiences of Saskatoon residents, was to run a social media campaign last summer, called #WeBelongDtnyxe. Residents sent in photos or stories about what they loved about the Downtown. The entries formed the basis for the narrative that was created, organized around three main themes that emerged strongly: room to breathe, space to grow, place to belong.
“To capture the essence of a destination, visitors understand that you must seek out its centre,” says Todd Brandt, President and CEO of Tourism Saskatoon. “Saskatoon's downtown is filled with a diverse mix of experiences, from festivals and concerts to outdoor adventures. It is a place where you can discover the authentic soul of the city by stepping into one of our first class farm-to-table restaurants, experience rich Indigenous history and culture, modern art and prairie heritage - all within the heart of our city.”

In the Downtown Guide, quotes from Saskatoon residents about their experiences are used to pull together the narrative.
“We are loving downtown living. The greatest surprise is that you really are part of a neighbourhood, from shopkeepers who recognize us on dog walks to daily small chats with neighbours at the elevators. For my teen, her friends enjoy visiting because there are always things to do. We enjoy the river valley daily. I work on campus so my commute is a walk or bike ride over the bridge most of the year and a bus ride for a few cold months.”
– Janice L. Braden, downtown resident and University of Saskatchewan employee
“We see a city that is keeping its youth, and with that, an opportunity is available to Saskatoon to enhance the vibrancy of their downtown by creating a live, work and play environment that you see in other urban centers. We have responded to that opportunity by creating Saskatchewan’s first mixed use development offering innovative and unique architecture as well as world-class indoor and outdoor amenities that the workforce of Saskatoon has been waiting for.”
– Blair Sinclair, EVP Investment & Development, Triovest Western Canada
“There is a certain energy that comes with being located in a city centre and our downtown campus is right on that pulse... We look forward to a bright future downtown and the many opportunities that it offers our alumni.”
– Riel Bellegarde, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies
The Downtown Guide can be found on the Downtown Saskatoon website: https://dtnyxe.ca/destination-downtown/ as well as a booklet with the partner organizations.
“A city’s energy is best expressed by its downtown,” says Alex Fallon, CEO, SREDA. “For Saskatoon, that is a powerful alchemy of culture, community and optimism. Where else can you find thriving businesses just steps from tree-lined river paths, modern art next to natural prairie landscapes? Downtown Saskatoon offers everything you need, from dawn to dusk, culture to commerce. It’s not just the heart of our city, but also the meeting place for minds, and the backbone to a thriving arts and food
scene. There’s no better place in the world to grow.”

https://dtnyxe.ca/destination-downtown/

[Crisis]

^^^^ Nice brochure. But on the map near the back of the brochure, they indicate "6. City Hall" as a building on 5th Avenue, north of 22rd Street. They do show the outline of City Hall in the right place, with "City Hall" printed there, but then contradict it with the location referenced in the legend.

Does no one proof these things? Maybe some civic employees work remotely there, but that doesn't make it City Hall.

[prairieguy]

Did anyone else catch the quote from Meridian Developments talking about a landmark river building for renters???

[YXE]

Where was this quote? Context?

[Echoes]

Good eye. That would line up with the land I think they own near Knox Church. I guess they're dropping hints.

[prairieguy]

Originally Posted by YXE

Where was this quote? Context?

On the second page of the "Room to Grow" section of guide. "We are excited to design a landmark building right on the river..." Karl Miller, Meridian Development

https://dtnyxe.ca/destination-downtown/

[YXE]

I never realized that the 301 on 1st building is an event Center. Cool idea. Im sure it will do very well as that kind of venue.