George Ward Pool survives budget talks, but Saskatoon bus fares on the rise
CBC
George Ward Pool is staying afloat. And hopping on the bus will cost more.
The 60-year-old outdoor pool in Saskatoon’s Holliston neighbourhood survived budget talks Thursday as city council looked for savings or revenue in its next two-year spending plan.
No councillor even asked for a vote on closing the pool, one of 108 cost-saving measures presented to council to help reduce the property tax increases.
Unlike Wednesday, when council started going through the list and all but seven of the first 46 options passed in some form, all but about half a dozen measures were rejected on Thursday.
Some never even advanced to a vote.
“A lot of these [options] are very unpalatable,” city manager Jeff Jorgenson acknowledged to council. “We appreciate how difficult these conversations are for everybody involved.”
Council failed to complete the budget Thursday, the last of three scheduled days, even though the meeting was extended to 6:30 p.m. and beyond. So talks will resume Friday morning, marking the second consecutive two-year budget debate that has bled into four days.
However, bus fares, which have not increased in more than a decade, will go up in each of the next two years. An adult monthly pass jumps to $91 from $83 next year, and then to $100 in 2027.
Single-trip tickets rise to $2.75 next year from $2.50 and then to $3 in 2027.
“I don’t want to wait another 10 years to have a fare review,” Coun. Bev Dubois said. She got council support to review how often the city looks at bus fares, which are the lowest in the country for cities of Saskatoon’s size with similar public transit.
Low-income bus passes stay the same, but monthly passes for seniors increase to $30 next year and $32 in 2027 from $29 currently. Monthly passes for high school students increase to $62 next year and $65 in 2027 from $59.
Coun. Robert Pearce failed to get sufficient support to also freeze fares for seniors and high schoolers. Elementary school students ride for free.
Earlier on Thursday, council declined to vote on several other money-saving measures related to the city’s four outdoor pools, including reducing the season by a month, cutting hours and increasing admission fees. Council also passed on reducing the hours at city paddling pools.
Non-residents, however, will pay more to register for swimming programs at city-operated facilities in Saskatoon.
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