Saskatoon·UpdatedGeorge Ward Pool is staying afloat. 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. However, little progress was made in reducing the two-year property tax increases, which stood Thursday morning at 6.34 per cent and 5.71 per cent, respectively, for 2026 and 2027.Council rejects most options to reduce property tax hikes on Day 3 of budget talksPhil Tank · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2025 1:47 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Coun. Troy Daves talks to reporters during a break in Saskatoon budget talks on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 inside council chamber in Saskatoon, Sask. (Phil Tank/CBC)George Ward Pool is staying afloat.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 the measure, one of 108 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, most measures were rejected as council began on Thursday.Some didn’t even advance to a vote, with contentious measures such as the closure of George Ward up for consideration.“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 also declined to vote on several other proposed money-saving measures related to the city’s four outdoor pools, including reducing the season by a month, cutting hours and increasing admissions fees. Council also passed on reducing the hours at city paddling pools.However, non-residents will pay more to register for swimming programs at city-operated facilities in Saskatoon.Even though George Ward Pool is not scheduled to close, a city report says the pool is scheduled to be replaced in five years, but there is no plan to replace it.Those who prefer frozen water for recreation failed to escape the budget scrutiny. Rates and rentals at indoor rinks operated by the city will rise.Fees at golf courses will also go up, and people who license their pets with the city will pay more.Little progress was made toward reducing the two-year increases, which stood Thursday morning at 6.34 per cent and 5.71 per cent, respectively, for next year and 2027.A series of proposals to reduce access to city-run recreation facilities failed, as did potential cuts to a series of grants for community groups and sports organizations.However, council did support cutting a $108,200 grant over two years to the Saskatchewan Health Authority to help run a detox centre on Avenue O in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood.City officials could not immediately explain the history of the grant, or even where the detox centre was located. Councillors spoke about the need for clarity on the lines between provincial and city jurisdiction.Coun. Troy Davies said some of the grant’s history, which dates back a quarter of a century, harkened back to his previous career as a paramedic. He said there were fewer options for addiction treatment at the time the city grant began.“I think it was a good investment at the time, but time to move on,” Davies said.Council also rejected a proposal to start enforcing a bylaw that requires people people to pay $150 if they need help from firefighters after they’ve fallen.Coun. Zach Jeffries called the prospect “super icky.” But fire officials said some people abuse the service by not following medical advice. Coun. Bev Dubois said private, for-profit care homes also use the service for clients. The fire department responded to 1,728 calls for so-called lift assists last year and have already attended 1,723 this year.Council asked for a report on the service, and about discussing cost sharing with the health authority, but Davies lamented that those talks have been happening for at least a decade.
George Ward Pool survives Saskatoon budget cuts
