SASKATOON, SK: The City of Saskatoon spent $8,202 to paint art on doors in a downtown back-alley in 2024, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“It’s absurd the city has kept on wasting taxpayer money on these ridiculous back-alley decorations,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “Why does city hall insist on spending money prettying-up this alley? Are the resident rats and alley cats demanding it? If local businesses want artistic back doors, they should buy a pail of paint instead of filling out a grant application.”

The project called “Alley Gallery 2024” was paid for by city taxpayers and the downtown business improvement district. The city also contributed $4,500 for a similar project called “Door Décor” with the Broadway business improvement district in 2025.

The downtown business improvement district is currently asking the city for $15,000 to paint art on doors in a different back-alley, according to the documents.

The city previously wasted nearly $100,000 of taxpayers’ money putting up colour-changing light balls in a back alley in 2023.

The City of Saskatoon is currently forecasting a 7.43 per cent property tax hike for 2026 and a 5.92 per cent hike in 2027.

“Not one single taxpayer dollar more should be spent on painting a back-alley door,” said Haubrich. “The city should be helping Saskatoon residents by making their lives more affordable instead of wasting their money putting lipstick on back-alleys full of trash cans.”