A group opposed to Saskatoon’s proposed Downtown Event and Entertainment District (DEED) officially launched a petition campaign this weekend.

Their website is voteondeed.ca which is calling for a referendum on DEED. On their website the group says Saskatoon’s proposed Downtown Event and Entertainment District is now estimated to cost approximately $1.6 billion and that a decision of this magnitude should be made by Saskatoon voters through a public referendum.

This website wasn’t for the actual petition rather organizers were compiling a list of residents who intend to sign the official petition. However, the first signatures on the actual petition put pen to paper on Saturday.

To require a referendum, the petition must obtain valid signatures from at least 10 per cent of Saskatoon electors which the group estimates is approximately 26,700 people.

The official petition must be signed in person on paper, with the proposed referendum resolution appearing on every signature page. Online registration does not count as an official petition signature. As well once the first paper signature is collected, they have 90 days to complete and submit the petition.