Today, City Administration came to speak to the Chamber’s Advocacy Committee on their commitment to efficiency and approach to value for money audits moving forward. The Chamber is very pleased to see the City allocating time and resources to enhancing the capacity of the Independent City Auditor and focussing on running an organization that is both efficient and effective. 

Every year the Saskatoon Chamber pulls together what we believe are the top priorities for the upcoming Provincial Budget. 

We commend City Council’s efforts over the past several months to address the city’s $70 million budget shortfall. While we believe a different process would have delivered in a better result for ratepayers, we are relieved that enough progress was made to avoid the potential 18% tax increase flagged in June. 

We are at the mid way point of Saskatoon’s budget marathon. There has been lots of interesting discussions and presentations as we watch and listen with great anticipation. The unanimous decision to explore the Chamber’s recommendation of a Small Business Tax Sub Class is a win for our business community. 

Business Confidence is a key indicator of future investment, often shown to align with local job creation, capital expansion, and GDP growth. The Chamber deploys its “Saskatoon Business Barometer” survey in Q4 every year to benchmark business confidence annually and shape pro-growth policy development at the local and provincial level.

Shelter facilities play a vital role in supporting our most vulnerable neighbours. Without these facilities, and the compassion and dedication of those who operate them, vulnerable individuals and families would be left to the elements and more people would be living dangerously on our streets.