Cynthia Marie Block is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
politician and the current mayor of
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
. Block was elected in the
2024 Saskatchewan municipal elections and is the city's 29th mayor. Block is the first woman to be elected mayor of Saskatoon.
Before politics
Block was raised in rural Saskatchewan, near
Blackstrap Lake. Block's father served as reeve of the local
rural municipality
A rural municipality is a classification of municipality, a type of local government, found in several countries.
These include:
* Rural municipality (Canada), Rural municipalities in Canada, a Lists of municipalities in Canada, type of municipa ...
.
Prior to entering politics, Block worked as a journalist and a news anchor for
CTV News Saskatoon.
Political career
Block's first political bid came in the
2015 federal election, when she stood for the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
in the riding of
Saskatoon—University.
During the campaign, she spoke to the need for more collaborative relationships between governments at the federal and provincial levels. Block finished third in the race.
Saskatoon City Council
Block was first elected to
Saskatoon City Council
Saskatoon City Council is the governing body of Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, ...
for Ward 6 in the
2016 municipal election, replacing former councillor
Charlie Clark, who vacated the seat as part of a successful bid for mayor. Block was re-elected for Ward 6 in the
2020 municipal election.
Clark, who served two terms as mayor, announced in January 2024 that he would not be seeking a third term.
After eight years on city council, Block launched a bid in June 2024 to succeed Clark as mayor. Block was joined in the race by former city councillor and provincial cabinet minister
Gordon Wyant, former four-term mayor
Don Atchison, former mayoral challenger Cary Tarasoff, and newcomer Mike Harder.
Block campaigned on issues she supported as a councillor, such as increasing density in urban development, including through zoning changes and improved public transit, and revitalizing the downtown core of the city.
In addition, she argued for the need for Canadian municipalities to partner together and create more "economies of scale" to combat inflationary pressure, including through working directly with the federal government.
Mayor of Saskatoon
Block was elected mayor on November 13, 2024, receiving approximately 45% of the vote city-wide. The victory made Block the first woman to be elected mayor in Saskatoon's history. Block was inaugurated along with the new city council on November 20, 2024.
In December 2024, Block led the new council in reducing a proposed property tax increase in the 2025 budget from nearly 6% to below 5%. Council also approved an encampment and emergency shelter plan that made millions of dollars in federal funding available to help address homelessness. Heading into 2025, Block identified homelessness as one of the city's top priorities—citing a need to work more closely with other levels of government and committing to the rolling out of a task force on the issue—along with completing the modernization of the city's transit system.
Electoral results
See also
*
List of mayors of Saskatoon
*
Saskatoon City Council
Saskatoon City Council is the governing body of Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, ...
References
External links
Mayor's Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Block, Cynthia
21st-century mayors of places in Saskatchewan
Mayors of Saskatoon
Living people
Saskatoon city councillors
Year of birth missing (living people)
Candidates in the 2015 Canadian federal election
Saskatchewan candidates for Member of Parliament
Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
First women mayors