The new central library in downtown Saskatoon and a major renovation of the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre have both hit budget snags and have had to go back to the drawing board. Mayor Charlie Clark says the bids for the work in both cases have come in too high. He considers the rising costs for any projects, whether city-related or not, is challenging. Clark says the timing was bad for the Library Board’s new building and the Harry Bailey renovation, because everything was hit with inflation.

When it comes to the Aquatic Centre renovation, he doesn’t have a timeline for when construction will begin or end. The goal now is to find some cuts to the renovations to fit the budget. The Library Board has put a pause on its new central library and a construction manager is being sought to see what changes can be done to bring the project within budget.

Clark says these inflationary pressures are something everyone is facing, from individuals to businesses, organizations and governments. He adds that he has heard the same thing is happening with other projects, like proposed school build estimates coming in too high.