Charlie Clark – LiveableYXE

Q1 Food: Food is one of our most fundamental basic needs, but not everyone in Saskatoon has access to fresh, affordable food. The Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership’s 12 Bold Ideas to Eliminate Poverty states that making food more affordable includes a combination of reducing food costs, ensuring people have more income to buy food, and ensuring everyone has access to healthy food choices. Building food assets (e.g., emergency food assistance, meal programs, gardening and farming, grocery markets/stores, community supports and education programs) in every Saskatoon neighbourhood would improve access to healthy food, reduce social isolation, drive local economic development, and address food insecurity. What initiatives and policy options will you champion or support to ensure every neighbourhood in Saskatoon has access to healthy and affordable food?

Saskatoon is in the middle of one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. It only makes sense that this bounty translate into greater food security in our own community.

We have seen some real progress in the integration of local food producers and consumers in recent years. Between the expansion of community gardens, the growing number of restaurants buying directly from local producers, the CSA options emerging (our household is part of a CSA this year), and the overall celebration of our local food scene as a key feature of Saskatoon has been good to see. We also have seen the expansion of SPIN farming models and the utilization of empty lots for food production and the planting of fruit trees and berries in city parks.

We have a growing number of Farmer’s Markets as well and I want to state that I absolutely support the establishment and growth of Farmer’s Markets in Saskatoon including at River Landing, which is why City Council made sure that the language for this was written very clearly in the Request for Proposals for the River Landing site.

City Council is awaiting a report on how to better support the redirection of food waste from grocery stores and restaurants to those in need to further enhance food security, and I support exploring these options.

Saskatoon has been identified by the Department of Western Economic Diversification as having the best conditions for value added agricultural production as well. We are seeing a growing number of food products being developed here, especially working at the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Center. I am very interested in supporting a significant expansion of food production, and growing local distribution networks between rural producers and our local urban market, and how we can ensure that these options are affordable, healthy and help food security. I have met with the Saskatoon Food Council on multiple occasions and suggested that the best thing we can do is identify the most workable next steps in the Saskatoon Food Charter and develop a strategy to implement these in order to make greater progress, and I will continue to support this. We still have food deserts especially in Pleasant Hill, King George, Meadowgreen, Riversdale, and Downtown and this is detrimental to access to healthy food for low-income families. During the Pandemic I worked with the Saskatoon Tribal Council, Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and the Interagency Response to support food delivery to families isolating at home, and I believe this is an example of a lesson coming out of the Pandemic that we can build on.

Q2 Arts and Culture: A new central library is an investment that will benefit all members of the Saskatoon community for years to come. The new central library build will generate jobs and economic growth. This will be especially important as we recover from the financial fallout of COVID-19. The total project budget has not changed since it was approved and is $134 million. Since 2009 there have been scheduled incremental increases to the library levy to build the capital reserves for the project. Future increases are scheduled to be $645,000 in the years 2021-2024; and $200,000 in 2025 and 2026. The average homeowner will see increases of less than $5 per year in 2021-2024, and less than $1.60 per year in 2025 and 2026. This schedule fully funds the new central library project, including debt repayment and increases to operating costs once the library is open, which means there are no additional increases related to the new central library project beyond 2026. Do you support the building of a library for downtown Saskatoon, as committed to the current City Council?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
For many reasons I believe that the Library project needs to move ahead, and I am concerned that the public has been mislead to believe that the City Council decision could be reversed – without bringing significant risk to Citizens given that the Saskatoon Public Library has made millions of dollars of investment in good faith on the basis of City Council making a decision to provide the borrowing room. We shouldn’t even be having this debate in my view. The New Central Library project will cost residents 22$ per household over five years. We live in an era where access to information and technology is more and more essential for daily living, Libraries are becoming instrumental in providing that access and a new Central Library will be key in building that access. A new Central Library will also become a community hub in the North Downtown, right around where we are seeing a growing number of new tech companies and new housing developing, and will become a catalyst for future downtown development as we have seen happen in places like Halifax and Calgary. It will create hundreds of jobs at a time when we are facing the economic challenges of the pandemic, and right now is the best time to build because interest rates are low, and bids will be very competitive.

Q3 Arts and Culture: Our built and natural environments provide a framework for our urban living. Our buildings and spaces contribute to a unique sense of place and help tell the story of Saskatoon. Our heritage buildings and structures remind us of our history and provide much richness to our surroundings. They are appreciated by residents and play an important role in attracting visitors to our city. If elected, will you champion support for our built heritage?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
I believe that preserving local the integrity of local heritage and character is essential for the success and identity of our City. I was a member of the Saskatoon Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee for all ten years I served as a Councillor. In that time we developed a new Saskatoon Heritage Policy, established the Heritage Registry, supported the Heritage Designation of multiple buildings in the City. I also was very active in the development of the Broadway 360 Development plans and the City Center Plan. These are both areas where finding the balance between redevelopment, infill and ensuring we preserve heritage and character is a very important strategy that must continue. I am an advocate for infill development, because I believe it is a responsible way to build a more sustainable and efficient city, and a key way of ensuring the vibrancy of our existing neighbourhoods and the downtown. I don’t believe it is necessary to tear down heritage buildings in order to achieve infill goals – as we have significant land that is underutilized as surface parking lots, or buildings that don’t have heritage value that can be redeveloped. Preserving and reinvesting in heritage buildings is also an environmentally responsible approach to avoid them ending up in the landfill. I also support the work underway to expand our concept of heritage in the community to better incorporate an understanding of cultural landscapes and the very important role that pre-contact Indigenous Heritage plays in our City, and to find ways to better recognize and incorporate this into our planning and identity as a City. As our City continues to grow and change I will continue to work with MHAC, the Saskatoon Heritage Society, Indigenous leaders and property owners to improve our plans and policies to preserve and celebrate heritage in our City.

Q4 Food: Food sovereignty is defined as “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” Indigenous food sovereignty refers to a specific policy approach to addressing the underlying issues impacting Indigenous peoples and their ability to respond to their own needs for healthy, culturally adapted Indigenous foods. How can the City of Saskatoon contribute to Indigenous food sovereignty?

The City is establishing an unprecedented level of partnership with First Nations and Metis organizations and leaders to deliver shared programming and greater outcomes for urban Indigenous populations and surrounding Reserve communities. There have been important developments in establishing greater Indigenous Food Sovereignty such as the agreement developed between Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Saskatoon Tribal Council that build on this. I also mentioned before the partnerships that have been developed between the Saskatoon Tribal Council, Interagency Response and groups like the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation to provide food, which have also grown partnership opportunities for young people to develop safe hunting skills and access to training at the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation facilities. We can continue to contribute by deepening our partnerships and being willing to innovate and develop new approaches to establishing a greater degree of Indigenous Food Sovereignty in our City.

Q5 Urban Planning: One of the goals of Saskatoon’s Strategic Plan (2013-2023) is “Sustainable Growth.” This includes planning for a healthy balance of greenfield and infill development – to grow the city inward and upward as well as outward. Responsible and strategic neighborhood infill would include consulting with the vulnerable populations affected, protecting existing affordable housing and heritage sites, and taking steps to limit sprawl and disparity in living conditions in new neighborhood developments. Do you support providing affordable housing to people living in core neighborhoods to minimize the social and economic displacement that could result from significant increases in infill development?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
The City of Saskatoon has been proactive in supporting affordable housing development for many years – through our Housing Business Plan. I am proud of what has been accomplished through innovative programs like the capital grants we provide to affordable housing developments, programs to expand our rental supply, our targeted support to SHIP to work on more coordinated approaches to homelessness, as well as the Mortgage Flexibilities program to help people become home owners. Gentrification and the displacement of people when neighbourhoods are redeveloped is a real concern. In Riversdale for example I am concerned that as people have lost housing in that area we have seen a concentration of poverty in Pleasant HIll and Meadowgreen. It is not simple to control these dynamics, but one measure that is important is to ensure that we preserve and establish safe affordable housing that is stable within neighbourhoods to provide places for people to live. I have been very focused on working with local housing organizations as well as the Federal and Provincial Governments to establish this housing in our community and to encourage the redevelopment of unsafe properties. I also support strategically investing in areas that do not require displacement of existing housing, such as the Bus Barns in Caswell Hill, or the empty parking lots and underutilized lands between 25th and 20th street in Riversdale or in the downtown. I will continue to support a strategic approach to find this balance as we also see the redevelopment and infill of existing areas.

Q6 Urban Planning: Mandatory parking requirements have been shown to increase construction costs and decrease affordability of housing. Some cities — including Edmonton — have done away with parking minimums, to allow the market to decide how much parking to build. Do you support Saskatoon allowing the market to decide how much parking to include with new developments?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
I support exploring more and more options to provide greater flexibility when it comes to parking requirements. We have done so already with zoning changes along Bus Rapid Transit Corridors to reduce parking requirements. In areas that are further from Transit I believe we need to continue to ensure there is some balance so that developments don’t drive unsustainable parking congestion on the streets. That said I also support doign a thorough inventory of the actual utilization of parking in existing multi-unit developments to inform decisions, as I believe we are still seeing many cases of buildings that have been required to build more parking than necessary and sitting with many empty spaces. The requirement to build spaces that aren’t efficiently used is a driver of unnecessary costs and can translate into affordability of housing so being more nimble on this makes sense.

Q7 Urban Planning: The Meewasin Trail is one of Saskatoon’s outdoor recreation treasures, used daily by city residents and visitors for strolling, running, and cycling. Winding under bridges and linking parks and natural areas along both sides of the river, it runs more than 90 kms in length. If elected, will you support the Meewasin trail development plans currently in progress and look for ways to continue to sustain the trail network in Saskatoon?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
I am a Board member of the Meewasin Valley Authority, and a regular user of the trail system. I believe that the Meewasin Valley is one of our greatest assets as a community and will continue to champion support for the long term vision and goals of the organization, for conservation, education, development, and the partnerships that are being developed with Indigenous partners as well as other destinations such as Wanuskewin. I have been a champion of Meewasin to both the Federal and Provincial Governments and will continue to do so.

Q8 Urban Planning: Many Saskatoon neighbourhoods now have speed bumps on residential streets to slow drivers and reduce vehicle noise. Do you support the further expansion of speed bumps as a way to manage the negative effects of car traffic in Saskatoon?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
Yes where they have proven effective I will support utilization of speed HUMPS, and raised intersections such as the example in front of the Bessborough. I don’t believe that speed humps are the answer in every situation, but they are working on a number of streets and the more we can slow traffic down in areas where speeding and cross-cutting traffic is a concern for safety we need to keep being innovative in our approaches.

Q9 Public Transportation: Saskatoon has invested significant resources in the development of a Bus Rapid Transit system as part of the City’s Growth Plan (2016). Planning is well underway for a high-frequency, direct bus service along the city’s major corridors and construction is scheduled to begin in 2022. The full system is expected to be in operation by June of 2025. Are you committed to maintaining the timeline to meet the 2025 completion date for the Bus Rapid Transit system?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
I am commited to working toward the BRT project and will continue to be a strong voice to the Federal and Provincial Governments to get the Infrastructure funding flowing towards this program. That said I do believe we need to also be adaptive and build some flexibility into our planning and design in light of COVID19 and the potential changes that this could bring to our commuting patterns and transportation dynamics of our City. As we are better able to understand how this could impact how people move around our City it may require some changes that we need to be able to adapt to so that we build a system that is as successful, efficient, and responsive to the needs of our residents as possible

Q10 Public Transportation: Other enhancements to Saskatoon Transit have been discussed that would make bus service more affordable, accessible, and reliable, while still minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. They include, for example, changes to the fare system, better connectivity, provisions for the poor and disabled, and improved communications. What are your priorities in further enhancing Saskatoon Transit to meet the needs of all people in Saskatoon? Thank you for completing the first half of our Liveable YXE survey. If you did not include your name (and Ward, for City Council candidates) with your response to Question 1, please add it to your response for this question. You can now proceed to Survey 2.

I am proud that we have been able to achieve a fully wheelchair accessible fleet in 2018, as well as incorporating audible stop announcements to enhance service for those customers living with disabilities. I support continued enhancement of real-time communication for Transit riders, including the development of message boards in stations and on buses that provide information and updates about routes. I also support exploring modifications to the fare system to make Transit more accessible and affordable to students and youth to grow ridership. I will continue to work with Bus Riders of Saskatoon, as well as the Canadian Urban Transit Association, and Saskatoon Transit management and staff to explore innovations to ensure our service is responsive and accessible to the needs of customers and the opportunities of technology.

Equity: Many youth in our city have limited access to safe, healthy activities after school and in the evening. Within Saskatoon’s marginalized populations, many parents or guardians are either working or not present. This can leave youth at risk of engaging in unhealthy behaviours such as drug use or gang activity. If elected, what will you do to ensure that these young people have access to safe, healthy activities/programs after school and in the evening?

Supporting youth success has absolutely been a priority in my work as a Councillor and as Mayor. The Smart Cities Challenge proposal we developed with the community was focused on developing a youth driven approach to breaking the cycle of Indigenous Youth Incarceration by providing better integration of technology and coordination of youth supports. Through the youth participation in the Crystal Meth Working Group of the Safe Community Action Alliance we also saw a focus on the specific challenges of youth and addictions and recommendations were brought forward for better supports and safe places for youth especially at night that I will continue to champion. We have seen the establishment of the youth shelter at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge as one important development. There is more work to do and I believe the way to make progress is to establish a more formalized youth advisory function to inform decisions of City Council, the Saskatoon Police Service and initiatives like the Safe Community Action Alliance, and I support establishing this approach in consultation with youth to come up with the right model.

Equity: The largest population increase in Canada and Saskatchewan over the next 30 years will be in the over age 65 age group. In that time span it is estimated that this group will grow to comprise 25% of the country’s population. In Saskatoon the over 65 population now stands at just over 13% of our population. By 2032, that figure is expected to grow to 20%. The city and province need to begin acting now to ensure we are prepared to support and include this new demographic of older adults who want to be active participants in community development and enriched community engagement and inclusion. An age-friendly community is a designation accepted world-wide for cities and communities that are working to make the following elements more age friendly: outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; respect and social inclusion; civic participation and employment; communication and information; social participation; and, community and health services. Would you support applying an age-friendly lens to all new policies and practices in Saskatoon to ensure the voices and needs of older adults are represented?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
Supporting our aging population to be as healthy, independent, and able to participate actively in the life of the community is very important. We have a very strong partnership with the Saskatoon Council on Aging that has been very productive in establishing a framework for guiding City Council decisions. This has informed improvements to Access Transit, to making Saskatoon Transit an accessible system, the establishment of curb-cuts, programming at the Field House, the expansion of Pickleball courts, and working together on forums and tradeshows to ensure information sharing for programs and supports for the aging population. As we see a growing aging population this is very important that we build on this collaborative approach and continue to ensure we have the programs and supports in place to ensure we are an age-friendly city.

Environment: Urban forests across Canada and globally are recognized as a municipal asset and part of a city’s infrastructure because of the ecological benefits they confer. Many cities have bylaws in place to protect trees. However, Saskatoon still does not have such a bylaw. As a result, trees are often removed without consideration for the long-term impact and in the absence of scientific evidence on good urban tree management. Do you support creating a tree protection bylaw for our city?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
Yes we are in the process of developing a tree protection bylaw. I believe this is overdue and I support the creation of such a bylaw for Saskatoon.

Yes
Any additional comments?:
Our urban forest is an absolutely essential part of the health of the our City and it has been tested recently with the loss of valuable ash trees, the emergence of another case of dutch elm disease, as well as continued pressure from City development. City Council has provided the direction and funding to overhaul our existing policies, develop a bylaw, and ensure we provide greater protection for our urban forest, while also having the right mechanisms in place where trees have to be removed to ensure that we are continuing to replace and expand the urban forest for the generations to come.

Environment: There is less than 5% of natural grassland remaining in and around Saskatoon, and only 11-13% remaining in all of Saskatchewan. Every year Saskatchewan loses over 10,000 acres of wetlands and the many ecological benefits these areas provide. For these reasons, Saskatoon’s Northeast and Small Swales are especially valuable, providing habitat, flood protection, carbon sequestration, and recreation for a large area of the city. Their loss would have a negative impact on residents. Many major developments are planned for the northeast sector of Saskatoon, including a major provincial highway, industrial development, and new neighbourhoods surrounding the Swales. What measures would you support to ensure long term environmental protection for Saskatoon’s Northeast and Small Swales, and safety for animals and drivers, cyclists and pedestrians?

As a Board member for the Meewasin Valley Authority and as the Mayor I have been very involved in many of the discussions and decisions regarding the establishment of the Northeast and Small Swale, the development of the guidelines and management plans for the swales and the work of trying to ensure that developments through and along the swale also preserve the ecological integrity of these very important ecosystems. This has not been an easy process given the development pressures and the trajectory of urban growth in the City. I believe that it is imperative that we conserve the integrity of the Swales. We are in a crucial time in the years to come as the design considerations for the Saskatoon Freeway are developed, and we see further development in Aspen Ridge and Evergreen. I will continue to advocate to the Provincial Ministry of Highways that any plans for the Freeway through the swales meet the highest standard for the ecological preservation of the swale, as well as to ensure the passage of wildlife along this corridor to the river, even if it requires a bridge structure. We can’t avoid the reality that there will be development in the area. We have made significant progress in the establishment of the guidelines and in measures that have been put in place so far. This is not going to be easy, but I believe we can continue to work towards the area being a model for how to balance urban development and conservation in a growing City.

Active Transportation: Saskatoon has levied above-inflation residential property tax increases for the last several years. A City of Victoria study found that it costs a municipality $0.01 (one cent) in maintenance for every kilometer of a trip on foot compared to $1 (one dollar) in maintenance for every kilometer of a trip taken by car. Do you support increasing investment in active transportation as one strategy for reducing the amount the City of Saskatoon spends on road maintenance costs?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
I have long been a supporter of active transportation investment in our City, and worked hard as a Councillor to establish the Active Transportation Reserve to provide a more stable, predictable source of funding for both the investment in active transportation and the planning and coordination within City Hall. The curren City Council has made unprecedented investments in sidewalk development for safety and accessibility as well as seen the expansion of cycle tracks and separated pedestrian and cycling paths in new areas as well as successful examples along Victoria Street, and the widening of the Sid Buckwold pedestrian walkway. We have a challenge in the downtown that we still have to solve. I will continue to support increased investment to create safer and more convenient transportation modes for all.

Active Transportation: The City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) released in 2016 set out the following vision: In 2045, Saskatoon is a leading city for active transportation, where walking and cycling are convenient, comfortable, attractive, fun and normal ways of moving around the city year round for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities. The ATP target is to double walking and cycling trips to 24% of all daily trips and 15% of all commute trips by 2045. Ensuring cyclists and pedestrians feel safe will be one of the keys to achieving these goals. Do you support the City of Saskatoon investing in the necessary physical infrastructure to safely separate cycling traffic from both vehicular traffic and pedestrians?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
I will continue to support innovation and exploration of the best options to create safer cycling transportation and separation of uses so that it is safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike.

Health: Access to public washrooms is a fundamental human right. The United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone, without discrimination is entitled to “have physical and affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, and social and culturally acceptable, and that provides privacy and dignity.” Access to public washrooms affects everyone in the community and is especially critical for seniors, pregnant women, young children, those with certain medical conditions, and those who are homeless. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for more public washrooms in Saskatoon. Relying on private businesses or non-profit organizations to meet the basic needs of our community is inequitable and amplifies discrimination of some people. In 2017 Washington DC passed a bylaw mandating that city to install 10 public standalone washrooms that are open 24/7, and proposed a program to incentivize private businesses to open their washrooms to the public. Do you support Saskatoon passing a similar bylaw, which will ensure 24/7 access to public washrooms?

No
Any additional comments?:
I would submit that forcing a yes/no answer on some of these complex questions is problematic. I am not fully aware of the situation in Washington DC and I do not fully understand the implications of a 24/7 bylaw like this. That said we absolutely learned during the pandemic how essential access to public washrooms is for the health of our City. Councillor Gough has put forward a motion exploring the options for developing more stand alone washrooms and I supported this motion, and will support the continued exploration of options to provide greater access to public washrooms in our City.

Climate Change: Urban areas are responsible for around two thirds of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They are also greatly affected by climate change. Therefore, cities have a critical role to play in mitigating and adapting to global warming. The City of Saskatoon has national and global commitments to address climate change issues, as a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and as a signatory to the 2015 Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. The City of Saskatoon Climate Action Plan includes strategies for climate change mitigation (Low Emissions Community Plan, or LEC Plan) and proactively adapting infrastructure, services, and programs (Adaptation Strategy). Although the Low Emissions Community Plan has been approved by City Council and many actions are moving forward, many others have not been progressing as planned. Only 10 out of 25 actions that are to be started in the next 4 years (Phases 1 and 2) have been funded. According to the Saskatoon’s Corporate Risk 2018 Annual Report, the City may not be prepared for the effects of climate change, which represents a medium level risk to the overall corporation. One of the main stalemates for the Low Emissions Community Plan has been ensuring the long-term budgeting, as this plan is a 30-year long strategy. Do you support the city committing long-term funding to implement the Low Emissions Community Plan?

Yes
Any additional comments?:
The Low Emissions Community Plan gives a very important framework to guide more strategic decision making and investment to help Saskatoon reduce our emissions and become more active participants in the green economy. I have worked hard to build partnerships with community organizations and private sector partners so that we can move forward on these initiatives. The Mayors Retrofit Roundtable is underway to support expanding the opportunity for retrofitting buildings, working with the Saskatoon and Region Homebuilders Association. We have established a demonstration project for net zero housing development in Aspen Ridge. We are working with companies like Federated Cooperative Limited on partnership opportunities in establishing electric charging networks in Saskatoon, we are utilizing MEEP infrastructure funding to help with the development of a large scale solar array in Saskatoon. We even have support of the NSBA for the strategic implementation of this plan. WE are implementing energy efficiency into City operations by retrofitting street and traffic lights to LED, establishing High performance building policies, and supporting energy efficiency measures to customers of Saskatoon Light and Power, especially through the development of the PACE financing model. I will continue to advocate for options that ensure we are a part of the innovation and opportunity involved in the development of the renewable energy sector, if we don’t we run the risk of being left behind.

Q10

Climate Change: The 40 actions set out in the LEC Plan will provide a host of benefits beyond environmental protection, such as improving public health, diversifying our local economy, improvement, and increasing equity and quality of life. What actions from the Low Emissions Community Plan would you prioritize to be implemented in your Ward or the City as a whole? Thank you for completing the second part of our Liveable YXE survey. If you did not include your name (and Ward, for City Council candidates) with your response to Question 1, please add it to your response for this question.

See answer 9.