Article content
As Saskatoon’s new city councillors get settled in at city hall, the StarPhoenix sat down with each of them to get an idea of what they hope to accomplish.
“I have a bank of information and comments and requests from residents, and I’m going to start working through those and start shaping and forming where my priorities will be.”
As Saskatoon’s new city councillors get settled in at city hall, the StarPhoenix sat down with each of them to get an idea of what they hope to accomplish.
Article content
Article content
While she is a newcomer to city council, Holly Kelleher has more than a decade of related experience to draw on.
Kelleher previously served for 11 years as a school board trustee before her successful bid to replace former Ward 7 councillor Mairin Loewen.
Advertisement 2
Article content
She said she really enjoyed that work; helping establish several new elementary schools was one of the highlights.
“It’s also learning and training on board work and governance and committee structure, and working with school community councils and community associations,” she said.
A desire to continue that kind of work motivated her to run for city council. The first weeks on the job were hectic, with plenty to learn, she said.
“Administration has been so brilliant, really, at getting us up to speed and getting us the information that we need.”
Making budget adjustments, which was one of the first tasks the new council had to face, went well and councillors were able to work through the process collaboratively, she said.
A lot of history goes into budget decisions, which requires sifting through thousands of pages in a synthesized way, she noted.
“I think Mayor (Cynthia) Block is hitting it out of the park … I think it can be challenging having six new people coming in.”
During her election campaign, her priorities were formed based on feedback she heard from residents of her ward, Kelleher said.
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
“I have a bank of information and comments and requests from residents, and I’m going to start working through those and start shaping and forming where my priorities will be.”
Many of those priorities mirror the main discussions around the city, including road maintenance and making sure parks and public spaces are orderly and accessible, she said.
“Are we building a city that is attractive for new residents to come into, is it attractive to new businesses, and are those pieces sustainable?”
Kelleher said it’s difficult to talk about homelessness — one of the biggest issues facing the city — without also talking about addictions, mental health challenges, the rising cost of housing, the increased cost of living and other topics that are woven into the problem.
“It’s going to require an intense, collaborative effort among groups of partners. The city is one of them.”
Other organizations — housing agencies, the provincial government, Indigenous groups and the federal involvement — also have a role to play, she noted.
Kelleher conceded that most people don’t want new shelters in their neighbourhoods. A system needs to be in place to help people move from emergency shelters into transitional housing, then affordable housing, offering services to them along the way, she said.
Advertisement 4
Article content
“I think that’s the only way to decrease the demand for shelters, which is the only thing I’ve heard everyone agree on, that nobody wants them — and nobody wants to need them.”
Recommended from Editorial
Developers push back against Saskatoon school land levies
‘We need immediate assistance’: STC Chief Mark Arcand calls for more homeless resources
Saskatoon city council agrees to spend more on provincial government’s downtown shelter
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content