TERRY HOKNES Ward 6 Saskatoon 2024
I know your care about your neighborhood and your city. I will be working for you !

www.TerryHoknes.com (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com

HOMELESSNESS
The issue of homelessness is increasing everywhere. We have an estimated 800 homeless people in Saskatoon. We need to come up with a system that deals with all 800 people fast and helps each one of them get on a path to improving their lives. We need to collect information on each person and come up with what is best for each individual. I believe in the Housing First approach for those who have come upon hard times but can easily be part of regular society again including individuals and families. City owned properties that are unused or vacant/boarded up residential houses is a start for new affordable homes. We desperately need new communities established - such models have been designed with either “tiny houses”, town houses, modular shelters or other small community areas.
The tiny village plan in Los Angeles could be an affordable plan to be built quickly in Saskatoon next year. More info on that design at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8odsD2A1FE 
There are so many affordable prefabricated houses that could be purchased online or designed locally. For example there is a really nice basic design priced at only $9,500.00 US funds per house. On amazon.ca search for: Zolyndo-Portable-Prefabricated-Expandable-Warehouse. If the city would choose some lots quickly and get utilities prepared these houses could be ready for Christmas.
Another great example is the Anovoal-Foldable-Container-Stainless-Storage listed at amazon.ca for $20,000.00 which comes with a 2nd level and a roof top balcony. These types of plans need to be studied to see what extra costs would be required to add furnaces, winterizing etc. Can we come up with a design locally and have them made locally that addresses all issues. Tiny houses are not legal throughout Saskatoon so an area needs to be chosen and zoning and laws changed to allow them.
Rules, laws and info on Tiny homes in Saskatchewan can be found at: https://tinylife.ca/saskatchewan/ 

For those who have mental issues and/or addictions they need to be addressed in a way that is best and safest for them. I would like to see a complete Health Care facility established that includes shelter, bed, food, showers, laundry, community space, treatment programs, job training, finance training, a gym, other educational courses, support groups, counselors, social workers, visitor area and outdoor park area.
As an example: Portland, Maine has the best design I have seen in North America. More on that location:
52K square feet, one storey, finished in 11 months, 208 beds, health and dental clinic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yksf5s4DapU 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ_GtGKDvLU 
My suggestion is to construct a new massive building. I want to know if the city owns any land somewhere on the outskirts where this facility could be built. Perhaps in the furthest north end of the North Industrial area, or perhaps north east of the Chief Mistawasis bridge or perhaps purchasing an acreage or two south of the city. We need safety for the homeless and also for the general public. We need to remove those who are “living” on streets and alleys and bring them to the shelter to help get them started on improving. A shelter van could easily go back and forth to the downtown to transport those who have appointments. Saskatoon needs a facility that can help those who have not been able to help themselves. Saskatoon is a caring community and we want to take care of our own. No limitations should be put on this massive urgent issue which is the #1 concern of almost everyone I have spoken to in the city. No more talking or delaying or doing things second rate on a low budget. Let’s face this epidemic and make Saskatoon a safe and healthy city. We want to help them improve their lives. All citizens deserve to have safe neighborhoods. Shelters should never be in residential areas or even downtown. Families, children and businesses need to know they are safe. We need all levels of government to team up and step up on this issue. This Health Care facility plan will take over a year to put into effect.

In the meantime winter is coming with 6 months of cold weather. We should not have a shelter downtown but now its been approved and it is all we have. So lets make the best of it until we can build the Health Care Centre. I believe street laws should be stricter that nobody can just hang around on the streets at night with a possible curfew and that police should assist those on the street to a homeless shelter OR a warming shelter. I believe we should have a few places downtown that the homeless can gather that are heated so that they can safely survive the night. I think a few pop up locations should be installed in the downtown and Riversdale areas. If we are short on time to prepare even putting up giant tents or small structures that are heated inside could help up to 50 people each. Perhaps an agreement could be made between the city and Impark to put up these warming tents in the corners of some parking lots that are barely used at night. For indoors it would be nice to find more churches or halls that could let people stay inside with security inside and outside.

I recently visited a homeless area in Vancouver. I saw young girls on the street that had nothing. I saw men shooting up literally while traffic drove by. I saw people so “stoned” that they were sleeping standing up. I saw the neighborhood “destroyed” and unsafe. If the homeless issues grows here, it will permanently damage the downtown and other neighborhoods. If the downtown becomes more unsafe businesses will stop renewing leases causing vacancies in the downtown. Over time the downtown will become more deserted and then there is no hope for the downtown entertainment district to succeed and the economy will take a downturn. Let’s show our compassion and take this on 100% priority.

These are some of my ideas which need to be discussed further and I want to hear from you
I AM LISTENING ! www.TerryHoknes.com  (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com

DEED- DOWNTOWN PLAN - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Downtown Arena and district plan has been approved by city council as of September 2024. There should have been a referendum on this topic and other major issues or have major discussions on the Saskatoon website that allows regular polls to get comments from the public. Former Mayor Henry Dayday once said that voter turnout is always higher when people can participate. It seems unfair that city council just makes decisions on behalf of 300,000 people without letting the mass public have a say. There should be a referendum on major issues in future elections. The community should have a say in what they have to pay for.

There are so many issues that still need to be addressed. I have spoken to hundreds of people and it was overwhelmingly against building it. Does city council have confirmed funds from the provincial and federal government to cover a 1/3 of the cost each (approx $400 million each)? Without their assistance our city cannot possibly afford this venue on its own. Even paying just 1/3 of the cost for a project that is going to cost over $1.2 billion is going to be a major task. And we all know it will land up costing even more than the estimate. Council said the funds would not be raised through property taxes. Therefore the funds will be raised by the general public at a great cost of adding hefty taxes on ticket sales etc. It has been said that we desperately need a new building with higher ceilings for future major concerts. I have not heard of what major concerts we would be missing without it. Most concerts do not sell out at our current arena in the north end. The plan is to make the new downtown Arena only 10% bigger. So there is no plan to even attract bigger audiences but rather just attract possibly a few extra concerts a year. This is a major cost for the potential to bring in 2 major concerts. Do any of the sports games at Sasktel Centre sell out?

The idea of an upgrade and beautification is a noble idea which I am all for. But I believe this is the wrong time. We have social and safety issues to deal with first. It seems selfish to put the focus of our budget into materialistic wants rather than social needs. Police on the street have said in interviews that as long as there is still crime downtown out of hand the Arena is not safe. The downtown plan includes 2 brand new parks both near the new Homeless Shelter at 23rd Street. I do not see these parks being comfortable for the general public and families to use with the Shelter next door. We need to do things in an order that make sense. Let’s remove the homeless from downtown, then clean up the crime and then talk about beautification of our downtown. I realize that delaying this project will cost even more but let‘s make sure we really need it first. I think until Sasktel Centre is reaching the end of its life as a safe building we are attempting to spend a vast amount of money foolishly. Let’s focus our budget on essential services that are needed by 100% of the community including road repairs, snow removal, affordable housing, health care facility, transit safety and reliability and more police patrolling and more street lighting in higher crime areas. This summer I received comments from 400 people on the pro’s and con’s of the Arena downtown. This vast list shows everyone’s concerns and thoughts.
PRO’S
Helps boost the economy / economic spin-offs
Attract tourists
Boost nightlife downtown
Attract bigger concerts
Be comparable and competitive with other cities
More convenient for people
New, modern and up to date
Anchor of the new renovated downtown
Restaurants, pubs and hotels will prosper
Residences downtown can walk to events
Bring people downtown
Many major cities choose to build downtown for the people rather than traveling out of city
A city striving to be more green making it accessible for pedestrians is necessary
Only one bus travels up to SaskTel center but many buses all meet downtown
Advertises our city to the rest of the country
CON’S
The cost - who is paying for it?
Wrong economy for such a massive project
Tax dollars needs to be spent on the homeless, crime, roads, general services
Accessibility - how do you get there? Where do you park?
Parking a car and then riding a bus downtown and then back again
Traffic congestion / overcrowding
Fear of affecting Heritage buildings downtown
Crime not dealt with making it unsafe to be downtown
Homeless, police and ambulances in the area
Higher ticket prices and taxes to pay for the building
Takes away valuable Midtown Plaza parking lot
Current transit system cannot support this amount of people
BRT cannot possibly transfer that many people in time
Getting off buses and out of cars and taxis - where do you go?
Have to pay for parking downtown
The noise levels for downtown residents
Will a downtown building really bring more fans to hockey games?
What will happen to Sasktel Centre? Costs ? Waste of a building and doubling up on venue?
How do we get emergency vehicles to the building fast and safely?
How do emergency vehicles travel down Idylwyld, 22nd Street etc if there are thousands of cars in traffic coming and going from the show all at once?
Downtown is not built to support 17,000 people at once
How backed up will traffic be downtown when road is shut down for a train passing by ?
How do the elderly safely get to and from the building in mass quantity ?
If the city had its way to have everyone take the bus how could you possibly have 17,000 people all get on the bus at the same time when the event ends? How long would it take to get everyone home !!!
Where do the 20 semi-trucks go to get in and park and be able to load in gear for concerts?
How will the police be in the area to help move pedestrians and traffic for these concerts?
No referendum for public to even have a say on this
Is it being built to still be competitive 30 years from now or will the standards have changed yet again ?
The population of Saskatoon has doubled since Saskplace opened in 1988 and yet we are spending a billion to only increase size by 10%
This will still never bring us an NHL team or a Taylor Swift concert !
What happened to the Imagine Idylwyld project planned to increase traffic flow? It’s still not enough !
Will people pay more money for Blades and sports events through taxes to pay for the building ?
We had this debate in the 1980s and people did not want it then for the same reasons as now

I am all for rejuvenating the downtown. We want a healthy business section and a rejuvenated night life downtown. But we cannot possibly have that until the homeless and crime issues are dealt with. Let’s spend the next 4 years fixing and improving the city with essential services. Four years from now hopefully we will be ready for upgrading our cities beautification and the cultural/entertainment issues.

DENSIFICATION & TRANSIT
Densification is a great idea in general. However, I represent some of the oldest neighborhoods in Saskatoon. The majority of those I have spoken with in older neighborhoods do NOT want 4 plexes and cheap rental properties on their block. We do not want to drastically change the character of older neighborhoods that have been established over the last 115 years. A possible suggestion would be that proposals can be made and everyone on that block has a say/vote on the proposal. Possibly there could be a limit set per block of only 1 or 2 new developments in these particular areas. Everyone is concerned about over population on their block, lack of parking, potentially hurting property values, and sewer/utility issues.

I would suggest new apartments close to the other established apartments near the University to help more students. There are lots of empty vacant spots or unused parking spaces in the downtown between 24th and 28th Streets. The new DEED downtown plan wants two parks right downtown but I think that land might be more valuable to be developed with affordable apartments which again would be helpful for University students and those who work downtown. More apartments downtown would also encourage demand for a new grocery store. Another possible suggestion is on the roughest streets where many lots are vacant or boarded up could be between 19th and 22nd Streets along Avenue C to Avenue W. This might help boost these areas with a sense of the residential blocks “starting over”. The easiest place for 4-plexes and apartments should be in the new subdivisions being developed so that streets can be done correctly rather than trying to change 100 year old streets. In general we also need rent control measures to help protect renters from major increases in fees.

City buses need improved hours, more routes, more buses, safety for bus drivers and passengers, air conditioning, easier access at pickup points, cut out ramps so buses can pull off a main street for safety and also to prevent halting traffic in that lane. We need wheelchair ramps and safer intersections. Upgrading transit could be paid by many more bus advertisements.

We need a consistent formula and design for Bicycle paths especially downtown. I would like to see a study about moving buses and bike lanes one block off the main roads for safety and more space and less vehicle traffic (Examples include moving buses/bike from 22nd to 23rd, 20th to 19th St, 8th to 7th Street, Broadway to Lansdowne etc). More timer crossings at intersections for better awareness for both drivers and pedestrians to know when its safe to cross and for how long. The 23rd Bus Mall is congested with buses. We need a 2nd bus mall - this would improve bus frequency and more connections. I plan to be in consistent conversations with each of the subdivisions in my ward to get more localized ideas.

These are some of my ideas which need to be discussed further and I want to hear from you
I AM LISTENING ! www.TerryHoknes.com  (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com

HOUSING IN SASKATOON
Population growth and a lack of housing has caused major problems including rental prices continually rising. The city no longer wants to build outwards but rather up. We need to strategically discuss each area where it makes sense to add new apartments, condos, 4plexes and have stricter sustainability requirements. Houses in older neighborhoods should be encouraged to upgrade their heating and cooling systems as well as newer windows, doors and insulation. In the long run the home owners will save money as well as helping lower emissions. Lets plant more trees and take care of our green zones. We need to educate everyone more about diseases affecting trees and what we can do to prevent this. We need to recommend green roofs, solar panels and more community gardens.
There is a great program called HELP (Home Energy Loan Program). It was designed to improve energy efficiency, reducing water and installing renewable energy by offering low interest loans. This covers the costs of the improvements. Loans are available between $1,000 and $60,000 in the city.
https://www.saskatoon.ca/environmental-initiatives/energy-water/home-energy-loan-program-help
We need to further study and learn from the city of Copenhagen which is amazingly becoming the first carbon neutral city by 2025.
https://www.spur.org/news/2022-08-31/sustainable-city-learning-copenhagens-plan-zero-carbon 

These are some of my ideas which need to be discussed further and I want to hear from you
I AM LISTENING ! www.TerryHoknes.com  (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com


EMISSIONS
Residential house power, heating and cooling is responsible for a massive 42% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. We need more general education to the public and students in schools to prepare them with good habits for the next generation in line with our year 2050 goals. We need to make it clear what resources are available and motivate home owners to renovate their homes with energy efficiency upgrades. This is good news as it would decrease the carbon footprint of individual houses but also save money in utility bills. It is estimated that there will be billions in savings in the future for the city. We also need the city and businesses to do their part. Lets plant more trees and take care of our green zones. City should encourage everyone to plant their own gardens to grow food and share with neighbors.
Learn more at these city website links for an overview and tips to help home owners get on the right track.
https://www.saskatoon.ca/environmental-initiatives/climate-change/targets-and-progress 
www.Saskatoon.ca/RenoResources 
https://www.saskatoon.ca/environmental-initiatives/energy-water/home-energy-loan-program-help 

These are some of my ideas which need to be discussed further and I want to hear from you
I AM LISTENING ! www.TerryHoknes.com  (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com

New FREEWAY & SWALE area problems
The provincial government has planned a ring road to go all the way around the outskirts of the city. This amazing plan is not likely to happen for 15 years. In the North East just out of Saskatoon are a few swale areas. They are going to be hit directly by the planned freeway. There is no way to go around it in the NE part of the city unless we extend it closer to Warman which is not practical. The Northeast Swale is a huge area which is 3x wider than our river. I do not believe we should change or destroy the swale. I am curious if the freeway can be built above ground in the swale areas untouching the land itself. The concern is the cost and practicality of building above ground for such a long distance at 3x the width of our river. The Northeast Swale is a post-glacial channel scar that contains remnant native grasslands and natural wetlands located in the northeastern area of Saskatoon. The Northeast Swale is approximately 26 km long, spanning from Peturrson’s Ravine to north of the Clarkboro Ferry and is regarded as a unique environment having ecological, hydrological and hydro-geological characteristics. You can find the map of the area at the Saskatoon Freeway website: https://saskatoonfreeway.org/map/ 

These are some of my ideas which need to be discussed further and I want to hear from you
I AM LISTENING ! www.TerryHoknes.com  (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com

CULTURAL & HEALTH ISSUES
Whether your family moved here last week or 100 years ago we all want to feel valued and part of the greater community. I would like to see the general public better informed on different minority groups and bring better understanding to the things that make us different and unique. I would like to see a weekly event held in 2 set locations in the city - one on each side of the river. Each event would showcase one specific ethnic or minority group. The general public would be invited to learn more about them having speakers, a presentation, a supper, perhaps music/dance, and a gathering point for people to meet and be introduced to new information relating to the particular group of the week. I would like to see a regular gathering for all of us to be educated about Indigenous culture, history and challenges. Each group could promote and educate about their associations, traditions, beliefs and challenges. This would include all types of groups such as: Disability groups, seniors groups, 2SLGBTQIA+, unemployed, veterans, different ethnic groups such as: Indigenous, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African etc. The People Bridge Advocacy group has done these types of amazing events but I would like to see this become a full time regular event. Smaller events could be held at the brand new downtown Library. Larger scale events could be held in churches, school gymnasiums, leisure centers, halls etc and hopefully these facilities would donate the space. In a sense you could think of it as a weekly Folk fest with one focus pavilion at a time.

These are some of my ideas which need to be discussed further and I want to hear from you
I AM LISTENING ! www.TerryHoknes.com  (306) 270-9387 hoknes@hotmail.com

I have posted my ideas & comments on various issues and am working on more topics

BUT I would appreciate you telling me your concerns - I AM LISTENING!

Email me directly at hoknes@hotmail.com OR comment publically on my Ward 6 Facebook page (link below)

What is happening in our city that MUST BE FIXED !        hoknes@hotmail.com     306 270-9387
Facebook Ward 6 Group  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565532644357



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