Charlie Clark standing on a street outside

"Join me in helping Saskatoon achieve its full potential."

Ward 6

Charlie Clark

Ward 6 City Council, Saskatoon, SK

Phone 306-270-5564 Email charliefor6@gmail.com

Contact Charlie▶

In my role as city councillor, I've learned a lot about Saskatoon and I want to keep sharing my experience and knowledge during what is truly a crucial time for our city.
My Story

I live in Nutana with my wife, Sarah Buhler, and my three kids, Simon, Ben and Rachel. I love cycling, camping, good books and, most recently, disc golf. In my role as city councillor, I've learned a lot about Saskatoon and I want to keep sharing my experience and knowledge during what is truly a crucial time for our city.

Before entering into politics, much of my professional work was in the area of mediation and restorative justice and this experience laid the foundation for my approach to local politics. The city is complex, filled with diverse personalities and opinions and listening to the issues and searching for common ground is invaluable. Bringing new ideas to the table isn't always easy, but it's what I strive to do.

In my six years on City Council, I've also learned a lot about the role City Hall plays in the wider community. I've developed a network of friends and colleagues in numerous sectors of Saskatoon and served on many boards and committees. With the foundations I've created, I'll continue to work with these different groups to make progress and get things done.
- Master's Degree in Environmental Studies from York University
- Work with Quint Development Corporation
- Work with the Core Neighbourhood Development Council
- Work with Oxfam
- Creation of economic development projects, poverty-reduction intiatives and environmental campaigns
- Member of the board of CHEP
- District 3 delegate with the Affinity Credit Union
Endorsements for Charlie Clark

"Charlie Clark knows that a flourishing cultural life makes for a good city. He's intelligent and passionate and works hard to make Saskatoon a city where people want to live. He's the councillor for me.”
- Yann Martel, author

"I have always been impressed with Charlie's philosophy of life, to help the community. He is a person of outstanding character. He also has a strong interest in affordable housing and I've seen him work effectively with community groups and organizations in that area."
- George Keter, former CEO, Affinity Credit Union.

“When I was on the Broadway BID Board, I saw Charlie’s passion for the merchants and commerce in this area, and how he balanced that with the community needs and the people who live in this area. He goes out of his way to make sure everyone works together.”
– Debbie Taylor, Owner of Hats’n’That

"Charlie has always been a strong advocate in developing meaningful partnerships with First Nation and Metis communities in Saskatoon. Charlie is a bridge-builder, who promotes First Nation and Metis education through his involvement at Oskayak and Nutana.

He was also instrumental in forming a working partnership, amoung the City of Saskatoon, Affinity Credit Union, Saskatoon Tribal Council, Central Urban Metis Federation Inc. and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, to address opportunities for entry-level and affordable housing programs."
- Derek Rope, Educator and Entrepreneur

“Charlie has been a true advocate for persons with disabilities on all fronts in the city of Saskatoon and beyond, reaching to many municipalities in our province on intra-provincial committees. Charlie knows the issues of persons with disabilities and has been instrumental in moving positive change that has bettered our lives. Saskatoon City Councillor Clark is like a catalyst that mixes with the community of persons with disabilities and inspires empowerment. He understands our issues and he works with us to affect positive change in our community and, indeed, our lives.
- Robin East, Community Leader For Persons With Disabilities

“Our experience with Charlie is we find him a good listener and a man of action. When we have problems, he helps solve them. We look forward to a city with sound social programs and new ideas to solve environmental problems. He has a good grasp of our recycling, street and service problems. I support Charlie Clark for re-election.
- Frank Dietz, President of the Monticello Condo Corporation

"For the past five years, we have worked with Charlie as members of the City of Saskatoon Accessibility Advisory Committee. Charlie is one of two councillors who sit on the committee. Charlie attends every meeting, is always well prepared, has thought about the issues, and at every meeting puts forward helpful yet practical suggestions to improve accessibility for the disabled in City of Saskatoon facilities. His work as a councillor is in every way superior. In our view his presence has been critical to the success of the committee. Our experience in working with Charlie lead us to support his candidacy without reservation. "
- Carla and Mike Sheridan

"I spent 5 years working with Charlie on the Broadway 360 Steering Committee. I saw Charlie listen to all perspectives carefully and express himself eloquently, in a way that reflects the input of all involved. He was committed to all aspects of the process throughout the project and attended and participated in meetings faithfully. Community consultation is of great importance to Charlie. It was clear that he cares greatly about our community, and how it develops in the long term. He has the education, knowledge and interest behind his passion to keep the community progressing in a positive direction.

I have also had interaction with Charlie as a resident of his ward. Charlie is very approachable, and has responded to my communication with both thoughtful response and with follow-up action as promised.

Charlie as a progressive and innovative leader with a positive, collaborative style. He is a great asset to our community."
- Morag McKercher, Broadway 360 Steering Committee
At City Hall, how we approach issues is as important as what the issues are. Saskatoon is booming later than many of our prairie neighbours. This gives us an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

We can direct our growth in a way that is more economically and environmentally stable in the long-term, strengthening our neighbourhoods and communities around a vibrant, central core rather than becoming segregated and spread out.

My time on City Council has only strengthened my belief that the answers to our challenges come from good leadership. As councillors, we do our best to bring people together and craft solutions that fit our community.

From potholes to cycling to homelessness, I will continue to focus on building social justice, supporting the diversification of our local economy, building environmental sustainability and making our city a fun place to live.
1. Belonging and Opportunity
  It takes more than just infrastructure and planning to build a great city; we also need to be a place of belonging and opportunity. In my time on Council, I have worked on many initiatives towards creating a more inclusive community.
  
  Aboriginal Land Development
  
  Str8Up Gang Intervention initiative
  
  Housing First Initiative on Homelessness
  
  Station 20 West initiative
  
  Affordable Housing
  
  Helped shape Saskatoon Accessibility Action Plan
  
  Immigration Action Plan
  
  Four year member of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee
2. Growth
  We have the chance to become the best City on the Prairies. We can build the vitality of our city, preserve our heritage, curb urban sprawl and create a more efficient transportation network; I want to be involved to see this through.
  
  Broadway 360 initiative
  
  City of Saskatoon Integrated Growth Plan
  
  Varsity View Local Area Plan
  
  Saskatoon Cycling Advisory Group
  
  Accessibility advisory committee
3. Identity and Culture
  My time in local politics has shown me the importance of nurturing our unique identity and culture to ensure that we remain a vital and inspiring community. I will continue to work for a vibrant cultural community and for the protection and celebration of our heritage and history.
  
  4 year board member – Mendel Art Gallery
  
  Marr Residence Board of Management
  
  Albert Community Center Management Committee
  
  Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee
  
  Saskatoon Culture Plan participant and supporter
Goals
1. Plans for Homelessness, Waste, & Transportation
  
  End Street Homelessness
  
  They did it in Times Square in New York City, they are doing it in Calgary, and the results have been remarkable. Saskatoon can tackle homelessness too - by making a paradigm shift in how we work with people who are living on our streets and our riverbanks.
  
  This requires a “Housing First” approach to homelessness, something that has been in the news lately. The reason I think we can make great strides in Saskatoon is that we are seeing unprecedented collaboration amongst:
  
  Saskatoon Police Service
  
  The Saskatoon Health Region (Addictions and Mental Health
  
  Community Service Providers
  
  The United Way
  
  Members of the business community
  
  First Nations and Métis leaders
  
  City Hall
  
  The United Way has launched a Housing First initiative to help convene stakeholders and sort out the implementation details.
  
  The Safe Streets Commission is also looking closely at our most chronically homeless population and exploring ways to help them off of the streets.
  
  Last November, after spending a day learning about the partnerships forming in Saskatoon to address homelessness here, Tim Richter – now the CEO of the Canadian Alliance to end Homelessness stated that he thought Saskatoon could end homelessness in 5 years.
  
  This will require the political will and the ongoing collaboration of a wide variety of groups. I want to stay involved to help ensure this happens.
  
  Recycle 70% of our waste
  
  The Saskatoon Waste and Recycling Plan, adopted in 2007, lays out a clear plan for how we can build on our current recycling programs with Cosmopolitan Industries and Sarcan, and divert much more of the recyclables that are now going to the landfill.
  
  We are making progress on this, but there is more to do. This January we will be implementing the single family curbside pickup program through Loraas. In 2013 we will also see the implementation of the apartment and condominium recycling program in partnership with Cosmopolitan Industries. I believe we can take this to the next level in the next few years if we:
  
  Ban paper and cardboard from the landfill (this high value recyclable should not be thrown away any more – especially as there are more and more options for easy recycling of paper and cardboard)
  
  Develop and implement a city-wide yard waste and organics recycling program
  
  Implement a construction and demolition waste diversion program to capture the usable wood, masonry and concrete recyclables from the landfill stream.
  
  Push for greater ‘producer responsibility’ so that the producers of packaging have a greater share in the responsibility for managing the waste.
  
  Get 30% of commuters using transit, cycling, or walking
  
  Right now, almost 80% of commuters travel alone in their car to get to work or school, according to the most recent Traffic Characteristics Report. The breakdown looks like this:
  
  Motor Vehicle Driver: 78.7%
  Motor Vehicle Passenger: 7.5%
  Public Transit: 3.7%
  Pedestrian: 6.2%
  Cyclist: 2.4%
  
  Maintaining a road system to meet this demand for driving, in a growing city, is an extremely expensive prospect – just look at Calgary or Los Angeles as examples. We are already seeing the impact in the congestion on our streets, and on the demands we face to build wider roads, overpasses, and bridges to accommodate the traffic demand.
  
  Changing our ways will only come if we make the alternatives more convenient, this is the task ahead. The 2012 Integrated Growth Plan represents a big shift in our thinking about transportation, the challenge is to implement these ideas successfully by:
  
  Re-establishing Transit as a central part of our transportation network, not an afterthought
  
  Establish the Bus Rapid Transit Corridors and build future growth density around them
  
  Establish a safe and convenient bicycle network, with an emphasis on turning wider secondary streets into “bicycle boulevards” that provide access North, East, South and West. This can be done at minimal expense for sign, paint, and traffic calming devices
  
  Implement a Transportation Demand Management strategy that helps educate commuters on the transit system and bicycle network, and facilitates car pooling options for people travelling the same routes every day.
2. Plans for Streets, Energy, & Education
  
  Repair our streets and make them safe for everyone
  
  Our neighbourhood streets should be a point of pride in Saskatoon – and especially in the character areas of Ward 6. Right now, too many of these streets are in disrepair, and too many people feel unsafe to walk or cycle around on neighbourhood streets because of the increasing speed and volume of traffic cutting through.
  
  Repairing and reclaiming our streets as neighbourhood streets will increase our sense of pride for our community and increase our sense of safety on them. We can:
  
  Establish a clear and funded asset management plan for our city streets.
  
  Develop a dedicated funding stream to make up the shortfall in road repair – including dedicated tax measures where residents will see the results.
  
  By curbing urban sprawl and building a more compact and efficient city, we free up money to look after the resources that we have.
  
  Expand traffic calming initiatives, such as traffic circles and crosswalks, and eliminate uncontrolled intersections. (9^th and McPherson, and Saskatchewan Crescent under Idylwyld Bridge are two examples).
  
  Establish more pedestrian/cyclist - controlled crossings on busy streets.
  
  Continue to implement curb cuts and audible pedestrian signals to increase accessibility.
  
  Develop stronger enforcement measures for the sidewalk snow clearing program to make sidewalks more passable in winter time.
  
  Produce 15% of our power through renewable or alternative sources
  
  Saskatoon benefits tremendously from having its own power utility. This also gives us the opportunity to become leaders in producing renewable and alternative energy to power our needs and reduce our reliance on energy from coal.
  
  City of Saskatoon staff have already done significant work exploring options for power generation. If we make it a priority we could build a more diversified and sustainable power system by:
  
  Completing the feasibility study of producing hydro power at the weir, and if successful, proceed with hydro-power generating station with potential to power up to 4,800 homes
  
  Accelerate exploration of solar power generation through photovoltaics or concentrated solar power generation
  
  Implement the landfill gas project
  
  Implement the Turboexpander project
  
  Explore the feasibility of a wind farm outside of the city limits as part of the SaskEnergy Greenoptions Partners Program or other initiatives
  
  Ensure that any new developments are oriented to be ‘solar-ready’
  
  Explore establishment of feed-in tariffs to encourage development of solar photovoltaic power production on homes and buildings within the City, or at the neighbourhood level.
  
  Increase the graduation rates of urban First Nations and Métis students
  
  Oskayak High School on Broadway has seen a 600% increase in graduation rates among their students in the last three years. The City of Saskatoon recently approved a new bus pass program for Oskayak students to help provide a more stable and affordable transportation option for their students. There are also options being explored to establish affordable housing and daycare alternatives for students who are facing significant barriers in both areas. Oskayak has also set up a mentorship program to connect students with people in the community who are involved in fields of work or interest that overlap with the students’. Nutana Collegiate has been developing innovative ways to integrate programs that support high school students with barriers to success for many years as well.
  
  The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, in partnership with the Province, launched the Joint Task Force on Education this year. Saskatoon Public Schools have joined with the Saskatoon Tribal Council and CUMFI to establish the Okicyapi Educational Partnership. We must work as a community to ensure that students pursuing their schooling have stable housing, daycare for children, dependable transportation, and opportunities for mentorship and support. By doing so we can also learn the steps needed to support all students with barriers to success, as this effort needs to extend to everyone.
1. Belonging and Opportunity
2. Broadway 360
3. Directing Growth
In many ways, the neighbourhoods of Ward 6 (Holliston, Haultain, Grosvenor Park, Varsity View, Nutana, Central Business District, Buena Vista) are in the midst of a city-wide change.

Our streets, lanes and pipes are showing signs of stress, the pressures of growth can be seen in the replacement of older houses by new homes, duplexes and condos, housing is becoming less affordable as space becomes less available and traffic cuts through our streets, creating noise and decreasing parking and pedestrian safety.

At the same time, however, these are the very neighbourhoods in which people want to live. Increasing numbers are drawn to the character and the vitality of city-center neighbourhoods, recognizing everything they have to offer. Our shops, schools and outdoor festivals are bustling, playgrounds are busy with playing children and, all around, there is a sense of renewal.

As Councillor, I've talked to thousands of Ward 6 residents and listened to your ideas and concerns. I've visited your streets, joined you in community meetings and events and learned what the neighbourhoods look like through your eyes. I'm proud to have been a part of numerous initiatives, including Broadway 360, traffic-calming experiments, playground and water park upgrades, improved snow clearing and more.

This council term, I plan to keep working on these initiatives and ensure that the character of Ward 6 is maintained and strengthened as our city continues to grow and change.