SASKATOON, SK: The city of Saskatoon paid consultants $317,757 to come up with the name and brand Link for the city’s Bus Rapid Transit system, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“It’s a ridiculous waste for city council to spend this much money on what is essentially an afternoon brainstorm session about names and colours,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “The city’s next slogan should be: Saskatoon, where consultants rip off taxpayers.”

In total, the city spent $317,757 hiring Entro, a design firm, to come up with the name and brand for the BRT system. The project took almost three years to complete.

Some of the specific costs include coming up with the name Link that cost the city $25,000, according to the documents. The “look and feel” of the brand cost taxpayers $40,000.

The presentation on the work highlights the name should be “more modern and playful” than the regular Saskatoon Transit branding. In total, 27 “engagement sessions” were held to determine the name.

The “look and feel” document includes a section on the results of a colour association workshop. It also recommends using bus shelter ads to advertise the new bus system. The new Link logo uses the same colours as the already existing Saskatoon Transit logo.

The total cost of the Bus Rapid Transit system is expected to be $250 million. Federal and provincial levels of government are paying $183 million. Saskatoon taxpayers will pick up the rest of the bill.

“Now, taxpayers will cringe every time they see the name that cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Haubrich said. “Mayor Cynthia Block needs to make sure she won’t be wasting taxpayer dollars on projects like this.”