News Releases

As the city continues to grow, so too does the need to ensure sufficient water supply to all neighbourhoods. Construction of an underground reservoir in Evergreen is underway, just to the south of the McOrmond Drive and Baltzan Boulevard intersection.

Once operational, the Northeast Reservoir will collect and store water from the City's Water Treatment Plant and distribute it to the surrounding neighbourhoods of Evergreen, Aspen Ridge and Willowgrove.

“The Northeast Reservoir will have a total capacity of 43 million litres, which is equivalent to approximately 17 Olympic sized swimming pools of water,” says Russ Munro, Director of Saskatoon Water. “The water will be stored underground, and the site will include a pump station surrounded by grass and trees.”

Saskatoon has three other reservoirs that help deliver water to surrounding neighbourhoods: the 42^nd Street Reservoir, the Avenue H Reservoir and the Acadia Drive Reservoir.

Construction on the Northeast Reservoir is expected to be complete in December of 2023.

For more information about the project, visit saskatoon.ca/reservoir.

Reduced speed limits in Saskatoon will be discussed at City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Transportation meeting on Tuesday, September 7. The Administration recommends lowering the speed limit to 40 km/h on local and collector streets in residential areas. The Committee’s recommendation will be debated at the September 30 City Council meeting.

In 2018, City Council asked the Administration to develop a detailed framework for revising posted speed limits on neighbourhood streets.  Council members have received repeated concerns over speeding, and these concerns were also expressed at neighbourhood traffic review engagement events. A report with technical information and survey results from residents following a review of the issue was presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation in June. The collision data and traffic safety best practices validate that lower speeds on residential streets will reduce the number of collisions and the seriousness of traffic-related injury and fatalities.

The majority (65%) of respondents from an open survey (14,970 respondents) prefer no change to the speed limit on all streets, whereas about half (52%) of a third-party supplemental survey (414 respondents from a cross-section of neighbourhoods and demographics) prefer a speed limit lower than 50 km/h on local streets in residential areas. 

The Administration prepared options for the Committee’s consideration after an extensive review of speed data on local and collector streets in Saskatoon’s residential neighbourhoods and a review of speed limits in other Canadian cities.

Once City Council makes a decision about changing speed limits, the Administration will present options for speed limits in school and playground zones, as well as areas of high concentration of seniors and dedicated neighbourhood bikeways. An overall implementation plan will follow based on the final direction from City Council.

Project information is available at saskatoon.ca/engage/speed-limit-review.

An information report being presented to the City of Saskatoon Transportation Committee on September 7, 2021, will outline the required extension to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project timeline to ensure engagement on the system will be in-depth, inclusive and accessible. This extension is necessary due to the challenges presented by COVID-19 to the public engagement process, most notably the inability to meet with partners and stakeholders in person.

“The BRT project was unexpectedly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “Not being able to meet in person meant we were unable to meet our engagement principles of inclusivity and relationship building. We determined it was necessary to extend the launch date to June 2026 so we can gather the important public and staff input needed to ensure the BRT system meets the needs of our residents.”

Service launch of the BRT system was originally planned for June 2025. Public feedback is required on several areas about the planning and construction of the BRT network. It is expected that engagement opportunities will be available soon (dependent on pandemic restrictions and health orders) and will continue throughout the project. Interested residents can participate in the BRT process by signing up for the project enewsletter to stay informed about upcoming opportunities.

Visit saskatoon.ca/brt for more information on the BRT project.

The City of Saskatoon has released its 2021 Annual Report to the public having received the opinion of the external auditor. Per The Cities Act, the 2021 Audited Financial Statements and Reports were presented to City Council for information on Monday, August 29, 2022. The Annual Report containing the consolidated financial statements is the legally required public report of the City's finances.

“The 2021 Annual Report highlights the City’s progress on major projects and initiatives by business line, our achievements and ongoing priorities as set out in the Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget, and the City's financial position at the end of 2021,” says Clae Hack, Chief Financial Officer. 

“Against the ongoing challenges and the uncertainty of COVID-19 in 2021, we continued to find creative ways to be resilient and responsive in the delivery of our key civic services to the community,” says Hack. “We remain committed to ensuring residents receive value from the services and programs provided by local government, and from the investments made through their tax dollars.”

Financial highlights from 2021 show the City had:

• consolidated operating revenues of $1.08 billion and operating expenses of $892.3 million resulting in a net surplus of $186.7 million
• a strengthened accumulated surplus from $4.6 billion to $4.8 billion, an increase of 4.0% over 2020’s figures
• a 2.95% increase in overall Reserves from $208.7 million to $270.4 million
• a year-end deficit for tax-based operations before the transfer from the fiscal stabilization Reserve of $1.1 million, the same operating deficit that was reported to City Council at its meeting on April 25, 2022

Award-Winning Financial Reporting

For the 14^th consecutive year, the City of Saskatoon received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (2020). The 2021 Annual Report will be submitted to the GFOA for consideration for this year's award.

The City also had its S & P Global ‘AAA/ Stable’ credit rating reconfirmed for 2021 (and again in January for 2022 ), supported by the City’s cautious financial decision-making and willingness to explore innovative and alternative ways to fund, finance, deliver and make progress on important infrastructure projects.

Intending to be one of the best-managed cities in Canada, the 2021 Annual Report reflects the City’s ongoing dedication to continuous improvement, accountability to the public we serve, transparency and clarity in financial reporting.  

Visit saskatoon.ca/finance to view the 2021 Annual Report. Citizens may request an individually printed copy by emailing finance@saskatoon.ca.

A pair of size options to collect residential garbage at single family households will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities & Corporate Services (EUCS) at its meeting Tuesday, September 6. The options are part of a report preparing the City’s move to a variable garbage cart utility in January 2024.

A variable black cart utility is a rate-based program where residents pay fees for the volume of waste they dispose and the services they receive based on the size of their garbage cart.

“While people are free to choose whatever they want, the volume-based rate structure is designed to encourage residents to divert as much waste as possible away from the landfill,” says Brendan Lemke, Director of Water and Waste Operations. “Residents with the largest garbage carts pay more and those with the smallest pay less.”  

The decision to fund both the garbage and organics services through payments on utility bills was approved October 18, 2021 by the Governance and Priorities Committee of City Council, at which time the Committee asked the Administration to evaluate the funding model and present options on timing, phase-in and affordability.

The two options up for discussion are:

• Option 1 (Recommended by Administration):
  • Three different garbage cart sizes would be available to residents upon request.
  • Residents would have a choice of cart sizes ranging from a 180 litre, 240 litre and the current 360 litre for year-round bi-weekly pick-up service.
  • This illustration compares the volume of the three black cart sizes. 

• Option 2:
  • Two different garbage cart sizes would be available to residents upon request -- the current large 360 litre and new medium 240 litre black cart for year-round bi-weekly pick-up service.

“Moving to a volume-based cart program will give residents choice based on their waste needs and it’s one of many components under the City’s Waste Reduction and Diversion Strategy to meet our waste diversion goals,” Lemke says. “We recommend Option 1 to City Council because it increases the customer’s control over their costs and provides financial incentives for waste diversion at a lower overall investment.”

The full report and attachments (appendix 1; appendix 2) can be found here.

For more information on waste and recycling, visit saskatoon.ca/wastediversion.

The City of Saskatoon will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday on September 30, following unanimous approval of City Council at its meeting held last night, August 30.

“It is important that we show leadership in this area, to honour what we’ve heard from Survivors in our community about the impact of Indian Residential Schools,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “Elders, Survivors and members of the Indigenous Community have been reaching out to non-Indigenous members about building a better future together, based on truth and reconciliation. By marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we are recognizing how important this is in continuing our journey forward.” 

The Government of Canada passed legislation in June to make September 30 a federal statutory holiday for federally regulated workers in the public and private sector. Following Council approval, starting September 30, 2021, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will become a designated paid holiday for all City employees to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.

The federal government created this federal statutory holiday in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action number 80: to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Unmarked graves at residential schools in Saskatchewan and across the country have raised awareness about the “truth” of residential schools. It is more important than ever to ensure that education and awareness continues and the honouring of residential school survivors and the children who did not make it home is done appropriately.

The City of Saskatoon continues to champion and implement the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action by working with community partners to ensure the City contributes to the collective movement. To support efforts to elevate the significance of September 30, the City is working with Reconciliation Saskatoon and other Indigenous organizations to develop messaging and tools to encourage people to take on their own Calls to Action, take up an initiative at their workplaces, encourage the community to read the Calls to Action and find out on how to get involved.

Also known as Orange Shirt Day, wearing orange on September 30 will continue to be a way to honour Indian Residential School Survivors, their families, and those who didn’t make it home. It’s a way to acknowledge the legacy of Indian Residential Schools, demonstrate a commitment to reconciliation, and affirm Every Child Matters.

For more information on activities and initiatives to support reconciliation and see civic services and holiday hours on September 30, visit saskatoon.ca.

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) is pleased to announce the arrival of the butterflies at the Prairie Butterfly House. Visitors to the Zoo can now see several butterflies fluttering around the new exhibit and will also have an opportunity to check out the emerging area where caterpillars form a chrysalis or pupa to rest and transform into an adult butterfly.

“We are thrilled to officially open the new Prairie Butterfly House,” says Jeff Mitchell, Zoo Manager. “The butterflies truly bring the exhibit to life, and we can’t wait for people to come and fully experience the beauty and tranquility of this new exhibit.”

In addition to the butterflies, interpretive signage has also been installed providing an opportunity for visitors to learn more about the many species of butterflies that will inhabit the space. 

The Zoo would once again like to thank the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation and all of the partners, contributors and organizations that helped bring this exhibit to life.

• PrairiesCan
• Norplex Business Centre
• Hunter Family
• Duval Family
• Ultravision Construction
• one-mouse graphic design
• Dutch Growers
• ADA Architects
• Laser Impressions
• ASL Paving
• ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems Canada

The Zoo is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visit saskatoon.ca/zoo to learn more and to plan your next visit.

The City of Saskatoon is pleased to announce that Ideas Inc. has been selected through a public Request for Proposal process as the preferred proponent to lease the Farmers’ Market Building. The City and Ideas Inc. have been working together since February 2020 to negotiate a formal lease agreement to manage the public facility at River Landing.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our organization to bring vibrancy and animation back to the area. We are currently in the process of negotiations with the City and we remain committed to the project. We hope that we can reach an agreement in due course and help create an amazing facility here in Saskatoon,” says Depesh Parmar, Executive Director of Ideas Inc.

At its August 30, 2021 meeting, City Council was advised that Ideas Inc. was the proposed tenant for the Farmers’ Market Building. The Administration also outlined next steps to continue negotiations and options to renovate the Farmers’ Market Building so it may operate with business activities a minimum of six days per week with an emphasis on local foods and products and a farmers' market component. 

“Ideas Inc. is an established business incubator and has helped provide a platform to numerous startups to launch and grow into successful businesses,” says Lesley Anderson, Director of Planning and Development. “As advocates of small business and entrepreneurship, they are the perfect organization to manage this exciting project.”

Ideas Inc. is conveniently located adjacent to the Farmers’ Market Building and has been managing the outdoor Street Stall Saturdays and the seasonal outdoor farmers’ market for two seasons. Ideas Inc. will also continue to manage the seasonal outdoor farmers’ market in Market Square. 

The proposed vision for the Farmers’ Market Building is an animated public facility with vendor spaces and dedicated farmers’ market days. This vision includes the building being fully utilized and open to the public six days per week, year-round.

“Our vision for this space draws inspiration from national and international facilities that have become landmarks for their respective cities. We are inspired by their ability to create a vibrant, animated space for local communities, and a dynamic and diverse destination where patrons can enjoy everything local from produce and artisan goods, to locally produced food and beverage,” says Depesh Parmar, Executive Director of Ideas Inc.

City Council approved the hiring of a design consultant to prepare the building for the next phase. The City anticipates that pending approval of capital funding for 2022, the upgraded public facility could be operational by Fall 2022.

For more information on the Farmers’ Market Building at River Landing, visit saskatoon.ca/farmersmarket.