SaskatoonThe future of public park usage in Saskatoon is on the agenda at a city council committee meeting Wednesday, after Mayor Cynthia Block put forward a motion in the wake of a controversial concert held last month in Diefenbaker Park.Mayor’s motion asks for report on updating requirements for who can use parks, facilitiesHalyna Mihalik · CBC News · Posted: Sep 10, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoSean Feucht held a concert in Diefenbaker Park on Aug. 21 that also attracted protests and calls for it to be cancelled. On Wednesday, Saskatoon’s governance and priorities committee is discussing the future of public park usage in the city. (Jeremy Warren/CBC)The future of public park usage in Saskatoon is on the agenda at a city council committee meeting Wednesday, after Mayor Cynthia Block put forward a motion in the wake of a concert held last month in Diefenbaker Park.The Sean Feucht concert in August attracted protests against the controversial U.S. Christian singer, who is known for his affiliation with the MAGA, or “Make America Great Again” movement, and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ speech.Mayor Cynthia Block gave notice on Aug. 13 that she would be putting forward a motion to the governance and priorities committee asking the administration to create a report “outlining possible options to update the language and enhance the requirements for who can use public spaces and recreation facilities.”In a Facebook video before the concert, Block said she was against the concert being held and noted other cities have bylaws in place to prevent events like these from happening. Communities in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec cancelled Feucht’s Canadian tour stops due to safety concerns.”It’s abhorrent. It’s hurtful and goes against everything I believe in and everything our city says it stands for,” she said. “I plan to bring a motion forward to city council to review how we permit events on city property, to find out whether and how our public values can be better reflected in those decisions.”A group of protesters gathered on Aug. 8 outside of Saskatoon city hall to voice their opposition to the concert by American Christian music performer Sean Feucht, which took place Aug. 21 in Saskatoon. (Aishwarya Dudha/CBC)Saskatoon holds around 500 outdoor events every year in the city’s public spaces. Block said in her notice of motion that the recreation facilities and parks usage bylaw has not been reviewed “for a number of years.”Saskatoon’s bylaw currently states the city may allow the use of a park if “the use does not jeopardize public safety.” Wednesday’s committee agenda includes 19 letters and comments residents sent to city council in response to Feucht’s concert, expressing concerns for public safety.One of the letters was from Saskatoon Pride’s board of directors. They referred to the concert as a “continued failure to engage with the concerns of the city’s most vulnerable citizens.”Sean Feucht’s Saskatoon concert went ahead on Aug. 21, attracting about 1,000 attendees, plus about 100 protesters. There was no indication from police that there were any arrests or charges laid in connection to the event or protest.WATCH | From August: Mayor addresses upcoming controversial concert: Mayor of Saskatoon addresses upcoming controversial concertSaskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block joined Saskatoon Morning and addressed the planned concert at Diefenbaker Park by controversial American singer Sean Feucht.ABOUT THE AUTHORHalyna Mihalik is a journalist and weather specialist for CBC Saskatchewan. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Regina. Halyna enjoys stories about advocacy, local politics and rural communities. Send Halyna news tips at halyna.mihalik@cbc.ca
Use of public spaces in Saskatoon on the agenda after controversial MAGA concert
