Saskatoon city councillor Cynthia Block announces mayoral run

Ward 6 Coun. Cynthia Block has announced she will run for Mayor of Saskatoon.

Block made the announcement at an event this morning, the first in a pair of "special announcements" that were teased last week.

Gordon Wyant, the MLA for Saskatoon Northwest, is set to make an announcement at 12:30 p.m. CT.

Block has served as a councillor since first being elected in 2016 and, according to a profile on the City of Saskatoon's website, has been a resident of Ward 6 for more than 25 years.

She is a former journalist and graduate of the University of Saskatchewan.

Block released five key priorities that she wants to focus on if she is elected as mayor:

• The basics: Properly funding basic infrastructure, roads, sidewalks and good services as well as addressing safety.

• Housing and homelessness: Addressing the crisis in affordability and lack of housing by creating a mayoral task force on homelessness. The task force will bring together service provides, community organizers, residents and those experiencing homelessness.

• Modernizing: Create better, modern public transportation as well as prioritizing active transportation.

• Acting on reconciliation and inclusion.

Block described a future for Saskatoon where the city is viewed as a "shining leader on the prairies."

"We need to re-imagine our city to meet the challenges of our time, so that Saskatoon can be a modern, progressive city, where everyone feels welcome, supported and sees a bright future for themselves and their families," Block said.

Wyant set to make 'special announcement' this afternoon

Wyant was acclaimed as a candidate for the Saskatchewan Party in Saskatoon.

In May, he announced that he would not not seek re-election.

Gord Wyant, MLA for Saskatoon Northwest, will make an announcement later this afternoon. (Kirk Fraser/CBC)

Wyant was born and raised in Saskatoon. He was first elected as an MLA in 2010 and has served as the province's Minister of Advanced Education, Minister of Justice and Minister of Education.

Prior to that, Wyant was elected as the city councillor for Ward 5 in Saskatoon three times, in 2003, 2006 and 2009.

The two special announcements will come after sitting mayor Charle Clark announced in January that he would not seek re-election after serving since 2016.

Cary Tarasoff has announced he also plans to run for mayor. Tarasoff placed fourth when he ran for mayor in 2020.

Elections for urban municipalities in Saskatchewan are scheduled for Nov. 13, 2024.