Taste of Saskatchewan going on hiatus this year, organizer says
Taste of Saskatchewan is tasting a break this summer.
The summer staple at Saskatoon’s Kiwanis Park will not take place in 2023 as SaskTel Centre — the group who organizes the festival — reevaluates its prospects moving forward.
"It's been very tough to get restaurants," Scott Ford, SaskTel Centre executive director said. "Mainly because of the inflation costs. They're having a tough time gauging menu items and also having a tough time getting labor."
Ford says the last two years have been particularly tough as revenue from the festival started to dwindle with uncertainty taking over both the event and restaurant industries.
Last year, Ford said he had commitments from restaurants in the months and weeks leading up to the festival, but by the time the festival started he had to proceed without a handful of restaurants who could no longer take part.
The same staffing, taxation and inflation costs are also apparent for SaskTel Centre. Ford says Taste of Saskatchewan costs roughly $300,000 to $400,000 to operate each year. With costs rising for restaurant owners and SaskTel Centre, Ford wasn't confident the festival could remain affordable for the average attendee.
"The challenge is, as inflation and operating costs increase, you need to increase your revenues to stay in line, and we haven't been able to do that," Ford said.
Since 1996, the only other time Taste of Saskatchewan didn't operate was in 2020 because of COVID-19-related restrictions.
Ford has been involved in planning the festival for 25 years, and he feels a break is in its best interest moving forward.
"Let's just rest the event a year, re-evaluate it, and look at whether we want to proceed with bringing Taste of Saskatchewan back in 2024," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.