By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
Three RM of Corman Park councillors have been appointed to act as the municipality’s representatives with the authority to make decisions on the RM’s behalf as the dispute over the proposed Solair development moves into a series of council-to-council meetings with the Cities of Saskatoon and Martensville.
At the recommendation of administration, councillors voted during the February 24 meeting to appoint Reeve Joe Hargrave, Division 1 Councillor John Germs and Division 4 Councillor David Greenwood to act on the RM’s behalf.
Back in 2019, a Vancouver-based developer called Arbutus Properties had proposed to build a “solar-powered neighbourhood” in the southeast corner of Saskatoon.
The size of this development varies in the media reports published at the time; CBC suggested the subdivision would consist of 3,200 solar-powered homes built from energy efficient material, while the Saskatoon Star Phoenix reported it would be home to 7,000 people.
Nevertheless, it is known that Saskatoon city council voted 7-4 against accelerating the proposed subdivision, which would have been added to the Holmwood Surburban Development Area.
Years later, the Solair development has apparently been revived, though it is now apparently located entirely within the RM of Corman Park.
A concept plan posted on the RM’s website suggests the Solair neighbourhood will be established on 63.8 hectares of land and have approximately 1,700 units of housing, including 640 single family housing units and 1060 mid-density and mixed-use units. The total residential population would be about 4,050 people.
The concept plan states the new development will maximize reliance on renewable energy and minimize the project’s impact on existing municipal infrastructure. Stormwater will be retained on site through a series of rain gardens/bioswales, and electrical needs will be met with a solar photovoltaic system combined with energy-efficient building construction.
However, the proposed development has generated “disagreement” amongst Corman Park, the City of Saskatoon and the City of Martensville, though the exact nature of that disagreement is unclear.
An administration-level meeting was held on December 2, 2025 to identify shared concerns and explore potential resolutions prior to the matter going back to the District Planning Commission (DPC).
That meeting failed to generate a resolution. Thus, a joint report was brought to the DPC, where it recommended that three councillors from each of the municipalities begin meeting with each other to try and achieve a resolution.
Director of Planning and Development Doug Ramage recommended that the three representatives be given decision-making authority on the RM’s behalf.
“This would allow the representatives to negotiate positions, explore compromise solutions, and provide direction to administration in real time which would be subject to council ratification where required by statute or policy,” he said.
It was suggested that, in addition to the reeve, the councillors most affected by this development be appointed.
Despite the fact that his division isn’t greatly affected by Solair, Greenwood put his name forward. Another councillor recommended that Germs be appointed, as the Solair development lies entirely within his division.
“I would strongly suggest that you join the team,” Hargrave told Germs.
If the council-to-council meetings fail to produce a resolution, Ramage suggested they will make a request for binding arbitration by the Saskatchewan Municipal Board in accordance with The Planning and Development Act.