A strategic plan outlining the long-term vision and priorities for the Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) is expected to be in place by late summer.
Discussions on the P4G strategic vision are currently underway between its five member municipalities: Corman Park, Saskatoon, Warman, Martensville and Osler. A recently-announced Targeted Sector Support Initiative (TSS) grant of $43,800 from the provincial government to the Town of Osler is aimed at finalizing that strategic vision, according to P4G Executive Director Rebecca Row.
“The partner municipalities originally began budgeting for the P4G strategic plan in 2020, prior to the establishment of the new P4G Planning District,” said Row. “At that time, the immediate focus was on finalizing the P4G Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw. But, the municipalities were also in agreement that the partnership had produced many positive benefits; and that P4G should continue to exist after those immediate goals were achieved.”
Row said the Covid-19 pandemic, and the subsequent squeeze on resources, put a temporary brake on the process until 2022, after the P4G Planning District, OCP and zoning bylaw were in place. When Row, the former Director of Planning and Development for the RM of Corman Park, was hired to take over the helm of the P4G, it was agreed that the organization needed to restart the strategic plan process. This also included an expanded project scope and budget for the P4G to reach out to rightsholders and stakeholders for input, analyze its strengths and weaknesses, and broaden its perspective. That process began in earnest in the fall of 2023.
“The intent is to refocus the P4G on the next steps for the partnership, beyond simply land use planning, to focus on strategic priorities like economic development or regional infrastructure,” said Row. “Where we go from here is dependent on feedback received and the priorities of the member municipalities. The goal is to promote and support the work that the partners are doing as we move toward a common strategic vision.”
The strategic planning process is one of several P4G initiatives currently underway. There is also a regional market study aimed at determining long-term growth predictions for the P4G region in areas of population, employment, retail, commercial and industrial development.
“The regional strategic plan and regional market study are eligible for $126,300 in provincial funding through the TSS program,” noted Row. “This funding helps the municipalities complete joint projects to build capacity in one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. It is important that we continue to plan and prepare for population and job growth in the region, and are happy for the continued support of the TSS to achieve this.”
Row added that the goal is to have the regional strategic plan in place prior to municipal elections this fall, with the regional market study expected to be publicly available in the summer.