The City of Saskatoon has come under fire after spending $317,757 to name and brand its new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).The branding project, which took nearly three years to complete, resulted in the system being named “Link.” The design firm Entro charged the city $25,000 solely for the name and an additional $40,000 for the system's "look and feel," with some branding elements recycled from the existing Saskatoon Transit logo colours..Saskatchewan Throne Speech outlines ambitious growth, government spending.“It’s a ridiculous waste for city council to spend this much money on what is essentially an afternoon brainstorm session about names and colours,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF’s Prairie Director. “The city’s next slogan should be: Saskatoon, where consultants rip off taxpayers.”The project also involved 27 engagement sessions and a colour association workshop, which were detailed in a presentation describing the branding as “more modern and playful” than the traditional transit image. Advertisements for the Link system, including bus shelter ads, were also part of the recommendations..Saskatchewan Throne Speech details new healthcare spending.The broader BRT project is expected to cost $250 million, of which $183 million will be funded by the federal and provincial governments. Saskatoon taxpayers will cover the remaining costs.“Now, taxpayers will cringe every time they see the name that cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars,” added Haubrich. “Mayor Cynthia Block needs to make sure she won’t be wasting taxpayer dollars on projects like this.”
