Charlie Clark (politician)

Charlie Clark is a Canadian politician and the current Mayor of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was first elected mayor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.

Charlie Clark
Mayor of Saskatoon
Assumed office
October 31, 2016[1]
Preceded byDon Atchison
Saskatoon City Councillor for Ward 6
In office
2006–2016
Preceded byElaine Hnatyshyn
Succeeded byCynthia Block
ConstituencyWard 6
Personal details
Spouse(s)Sarah Buhler
Alma materYork University (M.A.)
University of Toronto (B.Ed.)
University of Winnipeg (B.A.)
OccupationMediator

Early life

Clark grew up in British Columbia and studied in both Toronto and Winnipeg.[2] He earned bachelor's degrees in conflict resolution and education and a master's degree in environmental studies. Clark worked in mediation, restorative justice, adult education, and community economic development.[3] He moved to Saskatoon in 2002 and worked for local non-profit community development organizations including the Core Neighbourhood Development Council and Quint Development Corporation.[4]

Political career

Saskatoon city councillor

Clark was first elected to Saskatoon City Council in 2006, unseating incumbent Elaine Hnatyshyn. He was acclaimed in 2009 and re-elected by a wide margin in 2012.[5] As a councillor Clark often championed greater transparency and alternative development strategies. He voted to ban corporate, union, and out-of-province campaign contributions in motions that were ultimately defeated, advocated for better waste management and transportation policies, and against new mega-projects.[6]

Mayor of Saskatoon

After 10 years as a councillor, Clark launched a bid for mayor in 2016, challenging four-term incumbent Don Atchison, who was again seeking re-election.[3] Clark ran on a platform of better planning for future growth, including economic and environmental sustainability, as well as more focus on issues of social justice and inclusiveness.[4] The 2016 election became a tight three-way race when another challenger, Kelley Moore, declared her candidacy.[7] Clark's campaign was buoyed by a large team of more than 800 volunteers and several high-profile endorsements, including a late-campaign endorsement from actor Zach Galifianakis, to whom Clark is related.[4][8] Despite trailing in the polls late in the campaign, Clark was elected mayor, defeating Atchison by a margin of over 3,000 votes.[9]

During his first term, Clark oversaw the development of new community partnerships focused on economic and social development, public safety and harm reduction, and sustainability. He championed initiatives like the Safe Community Action Alliance, the city's Low Emissions Community Plan, a new rapid-transit system, and active transportation infrastructure.[10][11][12][13] His long-time support for protected bicycle lanes led to opponents labelling Clark "Bike Lane Charlie."[14] He also drew a sharp contrast with former mayor Atchison, who never attended a pride parade during his 13-year tenure as mayor, when he grand-marshaled the 2017 pride parade.[15]

Clark ran for a second term as mayor in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He ran on a platform of economic recovery, inclusive growth, and addressing the root causes of crime. He was challenged by former provincial MLA and cabinet minister Rob Norris, who was accused of organizing a slate of candidates in the election - a charge Norris denied.[16] Atchison also entered the race in a bid to reclaim the mayor's chair. Clark, Norris, and Atchison were joined in the race by Cary Tarasoff, Zubair Sheik, and Mark Zielke. The date of the election was initially moved by the provincial government so as not to conflict with the 2020 provincial election, and was then postponed by a severe blizzard. Clark was ultimately re-elected to his second term by a wide margin.[17][18]

Personal life

Clark is married to law professor Sarah Buhler. They have three children.[2]

Election results
2020 Saskatoon mayoral election
Candidate Votes %
Charlie Clark 27,37746.9
Rob Norris 15,26126.1
Don Atchison 11,72220.1
Cary Tarasoff 2,6504.5
2 other candidates 1,3602.3
Total 58,370100.00
2016 Saskatoon mayoral election
Candidate Votes %
Charlie Clark 32,56540.7
Don Atchison 29,51836.9
Kelley Moore 17,38121.7
Devon Hein 5480.06
Total 80,012100.00

See also

References
  1. Tank, Phil (2016-10-31). "Clark rides 'optimism' into mayor's chair". The StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  2. Sorokan, Keenan (2020-11-02). "Charlie Clark using grandfather's inspiration in run for second term". 650 CKOM. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  3. StarPhoenix (2016-05-19). "In room full of supporters, city councillor Charlie Clark confirms mayoral bid". thestarphoenix. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  4. Hamilton, Charles (2016-10-13). "Clark wants to become the change voters are looking for". The Star-Phoenix. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  5. "Past Elections". Saskatoon.ca. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  6. Tank, Phil (2016-05-19). "Clark versus Atchison: How they differ". thestarphoenix. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  7. "New Mainstreet poll shows tight 3-way race for mayor of Saskatoon". CBC News. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  8. "Charlie Clark gets last-minute shoutout from Zach Galifianakis". CTV News. The Canadian Press. 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  9. "Charlie Clark defeats Don Atchison to become Saskatoon's new mayor-elect". CBC News. 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  10. Purdy, Brenden (2018-09-28). "Safe Community Action Alliance working toward a safer Saskatoon". Global News. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  11. Bosker, Brent (2019-07-29). "Saskatoon mayor defends proposed plan to fight climate change". 650 CKOM. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  12. Charlton, Jonathan (2020-10-29). "Bus Rapid Transit plan under spotlight at Saskatoon mayoral forum". Saskatoon. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  13. Vandenbreekel, Chris (2019-03-05). "Transportation committee votes for $4.6M bike lane plan". 650 CKOM. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  14. Quesnel, Jennifer (2017-10-26). "Shaking the 'Bike Lane Charlie' image: Saskatoon mayor celebrates 1 year in office | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  15. Tank, Phil (2017-05-16). "Clark heralds new era as grand marshal of Pride parade". thestarphoenix. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  16. "Clark decries 'politics of fear,' says Norris slate would cause 'political gridlock' at Saskatoon council | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  17. Modjeski, Morgan (2020-11-13). "Charlie Clark re-elected as mayor of Saskatoon". CBC News. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  18. Lynn, Josh (2020-11-13). "In landslide win, Charlie Clark to serve 2nd term as Saskatoon mayor". Saskatoon. Retrieved 2020-11-15.


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