The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra will be moving their office to a new location after the symphony’s executive director was attacked at work earlier this year.

On July 31, a man entered the SSO office and stabbed executive director Mark Turner in the eye with a blunt end of a fork.

Turner says he wasn’t able to open his eye until 13 days later. He said his eye remained swollen for a few weeks after that, and he didn’t have full sight until three or four weeks into his recovery.

Turner is now back to full health, but he says the attack left lasting effects on both him and the symphony’s employees and volunteers.

“It was a pretty terrifying moment, particularly a day that changed all of our lives,” Turner said. “We were in the middle of a meeting here. I was the one who was attacked – but most of the staff witnessed it firsthand and there were volunteers in the building.”

Turner said he has struggled with anxiety for most of his adult life, but after the attack it was different.

“Normally my anxiety has been stress-related, and this is more unpredictable, which is normal for trauma. So it’s just getting used to that change,” he said.

“It’s day to day. Some days are good days, some days are bad days, some days are getting-by days.”

He says it’s like there’s a black cloud in the room, and it’s often difficult to concentrate in the space.

“I don’t actually mind being in the space the same way I thought I would,” he said. “(But) I find it very tiring to be here. It’s not fear, it’s not a constant presence of anxiety. It’s exhaustion that creeps in throughout the day.”

According to Turner, the move isn’t to run away from what happened or to leave the Riversdale neighbourhood, but to ensure the symphony has a space where everyone from employees to volunteers can feel safe and productive again.

“After what happened here that day it no longer feels like home for us,” he said. “It’s not necessarily about safety in terms of what you would normally consider safety; it’s more about the emotional safety and comfort.”

According to Randy Pshebylo, the executive director of the Riversdale business improvement district, the symphony’s move is a loss for the neighbourhood.

“It’s a step backwards for the business district in the sense that we’ve worked so hard to attract businesses and organizations like the symphony,” he said. “For a city of our size to have a symphony is remarkable unto its own, never mind the fact that they were located in our district.”

He says there have been multiple incidents in Riversdale since the spring and he’s calling for more police presence in the area.

“(We want) the same as what we had,” he said. “And that was a dedication to central division and Riversdale in particular, with officers that were assigned to the district specifically and had a permanent presence.”

The SSO will be moving to their new location on 51st Street East next month, but the November book sale will still be held at the offices on 20th Street from Nov. 23 to 25.