Saskatoon’s south Costco will have a new neighbour in the future. Spokesperson with the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, Aqeel Wahab, says back in 1980 the Association bought 12 acres of land by what is now the south Costco, but at that point, would have just been a field a fair distance from the city.
Fundraising is now underway for a new mosque and although the project has been in the works for a few years, Wahab says with the number of Muslims in Saskatoon having grown, it has ramped up the project. It will include a Prayer Hall that can fit 2,500 people and will be about 50,000 square feet and this new location won’t be replacing any of the six current locations overseen by the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan. Wahab explains that the current mosques will continue, but the larger events can happen at the larger location and there will be plenty of parking which then reduces any traffic and parking congestion for neighbours of the IAS at the other smaller buildings.
There is no timeline yet for the groundbreaking. Wahab says the IAS is working with the City and developers before finalizing plans. Just to get started, the goal is $1 million to $3 million dollars, but Wahab says, “To build the actual building on top of that, will either fit in that budget or might be 50 to 100 per cent more than that. If you have ever built a house or renovated a basement, you know how pricing goes.” He jokes, “You start with hopes and dreams and an estimate and then you get down to work and then all of a sudden everything costs 300 times more than you expected.”
The new facility will be more than a mosque. The goal is to have room for events and activities to help the city as a whole, including learning opportunities for anyone interested. Wahab gives learning about how to grow a garden as an example. It could also be a drop-off point for food and clothing to be distributed to those in need through Saskatoon’s charitable organizations like the Food Bank & Learning Centre. Wahab notes that Muslims have been in Saskatoon for close to 100 years now.
He says there is an openness here to bring your best self and to everyone contributing. “You can’t find a city that’s this cool in most of the world, and when I say cool I mean the ability to be yourself and contribute what you’ve got to making the city better.” Wahab says it’s exciting to see Saskatoon grow and attract new talent from across all races and religions.
