Stories of the year: Substantial city council changeover

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The Starphoenix is looking back on some of the stories that had the biggest impact in 2024. Today: Saskatoon’s municipal election brought the city its first female mayor, and a list of new city councillors.

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Saskatoon’s 2024 civic election featured a substantial city council turnover after former mayor Charlie Clark and four former councillors did not seek re-election.

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Former Ward 6 councillor Cynthia Block threw her hat into the mayoral race, pitting herself against former mayor Don Atchison, former Sask. Party MLA Gord Wyant, Cary Tarasoff and Mike Harder. Voters responded by making her Saskatoon’s first female mayor.

“I think representation matters,” Block said after winning on election night. “I want every woman and girl to know that they can lead.”

Block took the lead early in the ballot count and maintained that momentum throughout the night. With each 10 or so new polling stations reporting, around 1,000 votes were added to her lead.

Ten women have run for mayor in previous elections, but none finished higher than second place.

It’s traditional for the main mayoral contenders to appear at city hall on election night, but Atchison and Wyant stayed away.

In Ward 1, former councillor Darren Hill was unseated by Kathryn MacDonald.

Senos Timon became Ward 2’s councillor after Hilary Gough did not seek re-election.

Robert Pearce took Ward 3 after David Kirton did not seek re-election.

Jasmin Parker took Block’s former Ward 6.

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Ward 7 went to Holly Kelleher after Mairin Loewen did not seek re-election.

Scott Ford took Ward 8 after Serina Gersher did not seek re-election.

Top election issues that continue to be Saskatoon’s most discussed topics include the city’s housing crisis, construction of the new downtown public library, expensive plans for a Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED), and issues around accessibility and safety on public transit.

Mayoral debates often led into criticism of previous council decisions on items like the DEED and residential zoning changes to accommodate the federal government’s housing accelerator fund (HAF).

Voter turnout in the election was 68,762 — higher than in the 2020 election, when 58,734 people voted, but lower than the 80,262 votes cast in 2016.

This civic election was also the first time since 1988 when an incumbent mayor did not run. Back then, Cliff Wright decided not to seek a fifth straight term. Henry Dayday won his first mayoral term that year, finishing atop a four-candidate field.

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