Saskatoon’s $262-million bus rapid transit program will now include public art. A bizarre turn of events ultimately upheld the city’s public art policy being applied to the project after councillors initially voted to exclude the policy from Link construction. “In the end, and that took a little bit of debate, council chose to ask for a report back so that council can have more information on whatever art is chosen,” Mayor Cynthia Block said in an interview with CTV Your Morning Saskatchewan. After a full day of debate to approve a key component of BRT along 1st Avenue, a motion from Ward 9 Coun. Bev Dubois called for the city’s art policy — which ties up to one per cent capped at $500,000, of major capital project budgets to public art — to be exempted for Link. In the summer, it was revealed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation that the city spent $297,400 of the $37.5-million budget to build the Material Recovery Centre at the landfill on a public art installation consisting of three large boulders built out of recycled plastic. “With all due respect, they sat here and defended $300,000 for plastic rocks and they might not do vinyl wraps,” Ward 5 Coun. Randy Donauer said about the city’s public art committee. “They might buy three more rocks.” Dubois’ motion was originally carried in a narrow 6-5 vote. But soon after the vote was finalized, Ward 2 Coun. Senos Timon said he inadvertently voted for the motion when he meant to vote against it. Because Timon was on the winning side of the vote, he was allowed to bring the motion back for reconsideration. After a second chance, his disapproval swung the vote 6-5 against excluding public art for Link. “I’m struggling with a cold here. I kind of missed the question. I just didn’t pay (attention) closely when the question was called,” Timon said. Following weeks of public discourse over how three plastic rocks tied to the Material Recovery Centre were funded, councillors ultimately upheld the city’s public art policy in August. On Wednesday, Dubois said her motion was meant to redirect the $500,000 of public art for BRT to potential cost overruns. “Costs are going up all the time nowadays, just generally speaking. And then you have the tariffs, which I would think, probably affect the cost of this construction,” she said. “So I’m looking at being prudent with our funding as well.” Ahead of the vote, there was discussion about the ways art can be displayed at bus stations, which are already in use at the city’s Confederation Mall terminal. After repeated instances of vandalism and damage, the city installed some of the glass bus shelters with a vinyl wrap, which the city says has reduced safety concerns. Block said that is one potential opportunity that excites councillors with BRT being a citywide project. “We’re learning so many ways that public art and these wraps that they have at the shelters can improve overall safety for everyone,” she said. In the end, council unanimously supported having administration report back with a specific plan for public art tied to Link prior to its installation.
