Cities are made up of a mix of areas, including residential (homes), commercial (stores, restaurants, offices), and industrial (factories, plants, warehouses).
In some cases, heavy industrial land uses close to residential areas might cause nuisances for residents, such as noise, smells, vibrations, dust, or outdoor lighting. Click here for a list of various nuisance types, as well as performance standards and enforcement authority for each.
What is the difference between light industrial and heavy industrial?
Light industrial land use includes industrial businesses that are typically smaller in scale and less intensive than those found in heavy industrial areas. Light industrial operations should not create nuisance conditions for neighbouring properties or residential areas.
In comparison, heavy industrial land use includes larger industrial businesses that are more intensive. The City of Saskatoon Zoning Bylaw states that the purpose of the Heavy Industrial District is to facilitate economic development through industrial activities that may have the potential for creating nuisance conditions during the normal course of operations.
Click here for a map showing heavy industrial areas in Saskatoon.
Industrial-Residential Interface Study
The Industrial-Residential Interface Study was launched primarily due to heavy industrial businesses causing nuisance conditions for residents in nearby areas within the Pleasant Hill, King George, and West Industrial neighbourhoods. However, this is a city-wide study that considers nuisance conditions for residents caused by heavy industrial businesses in any area of Saskatoon.
The goal of this study is to determine whether there are ways to address the existing nuisance conditions in areas where heavy industrial-residential interfaces exist. It is intended to balance quality of life for residents near heavy industrial areas and economic prosperity for existing heavy industrial land uses.