Long-time CBC news anchor and chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge will headline the late-September kick-off to the city's visioning, a long-term planning initiative intended to shape the future of Saskatoon.
Mansbridge, who will be paid $25,000 plus expenses, will give a talk on September 29 that will officially launch the five-month exercise -- dubbed Saskatoon Speaks -- geared toward getting input from residents on how the city should grow during the next 50 years.
"Peter (Mansbridge) is well recognized and certainly has had experience reporting on cities from across Canada and across the world," said Catherine Gryba, the city's manager of strategic planning. "We're interested in his comments and observations on what makes cities successful."
Born in London, England, in 1948 and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Mansbridge became anchor for CBC's flagship newscast The National in 1988 after more than 20 years of reporting, which included a stint in Saskatchewan. Saskatoon's fire chief, Brian Bentley, was Mansbridge's cameraman for a time, Gryba said.
The city was looking for a keynote speaker with broad appeal instead of an urban planning expert along the lines of Jan Gehl, who gave two sold-out talks last year, Gryba said.
Mansbridge's name is well-known among people of all age groups, she said.
"The challenge was to get the right mix," she said. "We wanted someone who would challenge and encourage us and put out ideas for our citizens."
The $25,000 fee was the going rate for a speaker of Mansbridge's calibre, Gryba said. The city is expecting an audience of between 800 and 1,000 people at Prairieland Park for the talk. In addition to the September 29 event, a two-day city summit is set for October 1 and 2 at Prairieland that will include sessions to gather opinions and ideas from residents.
Another summit is planned for late November on specific areas such as transportation and the economy before a document is presented to city council in early 2011 setting out the city's direction.
Saskatoon is becoming increasingly diverse, roads are becoming more congested and the city is growing at a pace not seen for decades.
The population of Saskatoon proper -- about 223,000 people -- is expected to double in 30 to 50 years if the same pace of growth continues, Gryba said.
One of the central questions is how people want Saskatoon to grow -- out through continued urban sprawl or up through a focus on infill developments and increased density, Gryba said.
"We want to find out what's important to people," Gryba said. "We're at a really critical point in our history. If we do attract that many people how are we going to move around the city? How do we grow and realize the benefits and successes while making sure we look after what we have?
The City of Saskatoon wants residents to "hold the mirror up to ourselves," Gryba said.
"What does a great street look like?" she said. "Take a look at 8th Street, Idylwyld Drive and 22nd Street. We drive them every day but sometimes we don't ask questions about them.
"This process can open our eyes to things that are right in front of us."
Long-time CBC news anchor and chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge will headline the late-September kick-off to the city's visioning, a long-term planning initiative intended to shape the future of Saskatoon. 
Post a Comment